Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Where did Sierra snow go this spring? Not into California rivers and water supplies
California’s severe drought was made worse this year by a shocking surprise. Every year, much of the drinking water that flows through the taps of millions of Californians begins in the Sierra Nevada. Snow and rain fall on the vast mountain range during the winter months, and the water moves downhill into streams, rivers and reservoirs in the spring and summer. But this year, in a trend that startled water managers, much of that runoff simply vanished. … [T]he ground was so dry that the water soaked in before making it down the mountain.
Related articles:
- New York Times: Against Expectations, Southwestern Summers Are Getting Even Drier
- CalMatters: Opinion: Vulnerable communities need help in the heat
- Bloomberg: California Faces New Round Of Record Heat This Weekend
- Arizona Republic: A recent heat wave blistered the Southwest. What does that mean for the summer?
- The New Republic: Even emergency measures won’t save the West from megadrought