Shifts in air temperature and high-magnitude winter precipitation events in coastal North America: Implications for Environmental Assessment and Management.

This commentary examines recent shifts in air temperature data coinciding with high-magnitude precipitation events at climate stations spanning an elevational and longitudinal gradient on the south coast of British Columbia, Canada. Results presented show that high-magnitude winter precipitation events are occurring on British Columbia's south coast under progressively warmer conditions. In the future, proportionally more winter precipitation is anticipated to report as rainfall versus snow, and over time these changes will have a marked impact on the snowmelt-dominated hydrographs that characterize local watersheds. Robust preparedness strategies will be needed to balance competing interests such as the security of domestic water supplies, the permitting and operation of major projects (e.g., mines, hydrodevelopments), and the achievement of broader ecosystem health goals under these changing hydroclimatic conditions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:185-188. © 2018 SETAC.