The gargantuan California snowpack, over twice the normal size for this time of year in some parts of the Sierra, just keeps growing. On Tuesday, yet another storm unloaded several feet of snow in the Lake Tahoe area, completely burying the Sugar Bowl Resort office. Ideally, the snowpack gradually melts during the spring and summer, releasing water when reservoirs aren’t capped by flood control limitations and can maximize storage. All the snow right now is fantastic news for the state’s enduring drought. … But the overabundance also presents potential flood risks. … A spring heat wave, for example, could drive an early melt that results in flooding. A warm atmospheric river aimed at snowcapped mountains could also rapidly melt snow and overload watersheds.

Related articles: 

• ABC News: California declares emergency in counties buried by snow as latest storm moves east
• ABC 10 – Sacramento: California snowpack is nearing all-time records
• The Sacramento Bee: Satellite images show massive Southern California snow fall
• GV Wire: More Storms for Valley in March. Will They Add to Snowpack or Melt It?
• New York Times: As Storms Pummel California, Yosemite Valley Is Buried Deep in Snow
• USA Today: Winter weather still grips the West; severe thunderstorms threaten South: Live updates
• Spectrum News: Heavy rainfall quenches California but won’t replenish water supplies
• ABC 7 – San Francisco: Palisades Tahoe reaches 500 inches of snow this season as resorts close for blizzard conditions
• SF Gate: ‘Storm door’ will likely remain wide open in the Bay Area this March