RENO, Nev. (AP) — A new study says the average surface temperature of Lake Tahoe has risen faster over the last four years than any time on record — 15 times faster than the long-term warming rate over the past half century.
The annual report issued by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center says continued warm and dry conditions contributed to several record-breaking measurements at Tahoe in 2015.
Experts say the numbers raising concerns about the ecological impacts of climate change on the nation's second deepest lake.
The report says the temperature warmed nearly one-half of a degree from the previous year to a record 53.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
While last year's precipitation was near average, only 6.5 percent of it fell as snow, the lowest amount on record. Only 24 days had below-freezing air temperatures, also a record.