Why California’s snowpack is melting even after a wet start to winter
The Bay Area’s warm, dry stretch has spilled into February. Aside from a paltry 0.13 inches of rain on Jan. 27–28, the region has gone weeks without meaningful precipitation. … Just three weeks ago, the statewide snowpack stood at 89% of its historical average after a burst of late December and early January atmospheric rivers. Since then, it has collapsed to 59%. … The issue is timing and temperature. January, typically one of California’s wettest months, was dominated by warm, dry weather that steadily melted what the Christmas and New Year’s storms delivered. No significant precipitation is expected for at least the next two weeks.
Other snowpack news around the West:
- SFGate: Historically warm, dry January erases snowpack gains in Sierra Nevada
- KOLO (Reno, Nev.): Lake Tahoe snowpack at 60%, other areas of Nevada dealing with record lows
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah): ‘It’s horrible’ — Utah snowpack hits worst levels on record
- FOX13 (Salt Lake City, Utah): Bleak snowpack report triggers alarm on Utah’s Capitol Hill
- Santa Fe New Mexican: Warm, quiet weather forecast for week ahead in New Mexico as snowpack dwindles
- Smithsonian magazine: Snow drought hits the Western United States, worrying experts about the region’s water supply
- The Land Desk: Blog: Groundhog confusion as snow drought grips West
