Snowpack Levels Far Below Average
Sonora, CA — The California Department of Water Resources conducted its second manual snowpack reading of the season, and the results are concerning.
As it stands, the northern Sierra Nevada region has 25% of the average snowpack for the date, the central Sierra is also 25% and the southern Sierra is 27%. With virtually no precipitation during the month of January, and above average temperatures, the snowpack has actually declined from the last reading, conducted around the end of December.
Frank Gehrke of the DWR, says, “The reservoir storage we gained during December, we’re going to go through it very quickly. And with this paltry of a snowpack, the runoff is going to be pretty sparse.”
DWR reports that it appears California’s drought will run through a fourth straight year. The Sierra Nevada snowpack supplies around 30% of California’s water needs.
