California isn’t getting enough snow. Here’s what it means for water supplies
This month’s lingering dry spell has combined with warm winter temperatures to take a toll on California’s mountain snow, raising new questions about the durability of water supplies this year. State water officials, who conducted the second snow survey of the season Friday, reported that cumulative snowpack across the Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades and Trinity mountains measured 59% of average for the date. … While snowfall has lagged, the good news is that rain has been fairly robust. Despite several dry weeks recently, average rainfall statewide is running about 120% of what it typically is at this point in the water year.
Other snowpack news around the West:
- Los Angeles Times: Halfway through winter, heat is melting the California snowpack
- KCRA (Sacramento, Calif.): California water officials say Sierra snow survey finds ‘below average’ results after dry January
- KQED (San Francisco): California’s snowpack is shrinking, but winter isn’t over yet
- The Modesto Bee (Calif.): Snowpack lags in watersheds for Stanislaus, nearby counties. Is it time to worry?
- Courthouse News: Dry weather delivers blow to California snowpack
- The New York Times: Snow drought in the West reaches record levels
