‘On a whole other level’: rapid snow melt-off in American west stuns scientists | Experts say brutal March heat has left critical snowpack at record-low levels – and key basins in uncharted territory

“Climate change is going to result in a lot of these extreme events worsening,” said Dr Abby Frazier, a climatologist and assistant professor at Clark University, who added that compound events, where hazards overlap or occur in quick succession, are on the rise. The heat and the drought this year, served as a one-two punch, and will work together to produce greater dangers from fire.