The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is publishing a paper based on Assistant Professor of Geography Tom Painter's research on desert dust, accelertaed snowmelt and its affects on alpine ecology.  

From the University of Utah press release:

"Current mountain dust levels are generally five times greater than they were prior to the mid-19th century, due in large part to increased human activity in the deserts. This year, 12 dust storms have painted the mountain snowpack red and advanced the retreat of snow cover, likely by more than a month across Colorado. Under climate change, warming and drying of the desert southwest is likely to result in greater dust accumulation in the mountains.

'Earlier snowmelt by desert dust depletes the natural water reservoirs of mountain snowpacks and in turn affects the delivery of water to urban and agricultural areas,' said Tom Painter, Assistant Professor of Geography and Director of the Snow Optics Laboratory.

The new research, published this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, now shows that this early snowmelt also affects the life cycles of alpine plants and that the dust effect on these plants differs from the effect of climate warming.

More information:

University of Utah press release

KCPW article