California water supplies are in good shape, experts say, as more snow heads for the Sierra this weekend.
Dimitris Sweeney, right, and his brother-in-law Cole Heer dig out their car along Skislope Way in Truckee, Calif., on Sunday, March 3, 2024. They were trying to head to Northstar California Resort to ski and snowboard. As winter conditions wind down, the beginning of April is always the most important time for California’s water managers to take stock of how much snow has fallen in the Sierra Nevada.
“It’s about as normal as you can get,” said Jeffrey Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “It’s what we hoped for. In recent years we’ve had extremes. This year is definitely an outlier, but in a good way. Enjoy the normal.” Precipitation will continue to spread across the area today through Saturday, with the heaviest expected this afternoon into early Saturday. Here's a look at the latest forecast rainfall & snowfall totals. Expect mountain travel delays & chain controls.The snowy February and March, along with healthy rain levels across the state, mean that California’s fire season this year could end up being another mild one.
But this year and last serve as a reminder that every year isn’t a wildfire Armageddon, Clements said.Few barometers of the state’s changing water fortunes are as dramatic as the weekly reports from the U.S. Drought Monitor, put out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In other areas, such as the Tulare Basin in the San Joaquin Valley, groundwater has been so heavily over pumped for decades that some acres will need to be taken out of production, he said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blizzard in Sierra Nevada closes key Northern California highwayA major highway is closed again as the effects of a powerful blizzard continue to cause problems across the Sierra Nevada, and forecasters warned more heavy snow is on the way for Northern California. The highway patrol says Sunday there is no estimate for reopening sections of Interstate 80 to the west and north of Lake Tahoe.
Read more »
Photos: Blizzard hammers Sierra, closing resorts and creating travel nightmaresPhotos of a blizzard that is burying the Sierra Nevada in California in blankets of snow.
Read more »
Major interstate closed as dangerous winter storm pummels the Sierra NevadaA storm expected to bring up to 10 feet of snow to parts of the Sierra Nevada has forced the closure of Yosemite, many Lake Tahoe ski resorts, a major interstate and disrupted power for thousands.
Read more »
More mountain snow expected even as powerful blizzard moves beyond Sierra NevadaA powerful blizzard that closed highways and ski resorts had mostly moved through the Sierra Nevada by early Monday but forecasters warned that more snow was on the way.
Read more »
Massive blizzard howls in the Sierra Nevada; high winds, heavy snow close roads and ski resortsA powerful blizzard that a meteorologist termed 'as bad as it gets' howled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, forcing ski resorts to shut down and leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
Read more »
Sierra Nevada Snowpack Reaches 100% of April 1 AverageSierra Nevada snowpack has reached 100% of the April 1 average after a series of big storms. However, hotter temperatures and potential water trouble are concerns for the future. Additionally, a pilot program in California will pay some community college students to attend school and do homework.
Read more »