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This briefing, based on research from the Aspen Global Change Institute, examines the impact of climate change on atmospheric rivers and snowpack in California and other mountainous regions. It highlights a paradoxical future where the region faces both an increased risk of catastrophic megafloods and a long-term decline in snowpack and overall precipitation frequency, emphasizing that high-emissions scenarios will accelerate these hydrologic shifts.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics summarizes the IPCC's Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, detailing the accelerating degradation of polar regions, oceans, and mountain ecosystems. It highlights the irreversible nature of some changes, the risks to global sea levels and water security, and the resulting threats to biodiversity and human livelihoods.