California depends on melting snow for much of its water needs throughout the year. But there isn’t much snowpack left, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be replenished soon. Here are more sobering findings from a report issued by the Risky Business Project:
- A “dramatic increase in extreme heat,” especially in the San Joaquin Valley that’s home to much of the state’s farming, and the Inland South area.
- The average number of days with temperatures higher than 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) may double or even triple by the end of the century, threatening one of the world’s richest agricultural regions.
- “By the end of this century, summers in California will likely be hotter than summers in Texas and Louisiana today.”
- Rising sea levels affecting the 840-mile (1,350-kilometer) California coast may also cause billions of dollars of losses to waterfront property and infrastructure.
- “By 2100, $19 billion in coastal property will likely be below sea level”