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California Got Snow in April and May. What Does It Mean for the Snowpack?

/in , /by /SFGATEby Amy Graff

After California saw extended periods of dry weather in the middle of winter, a series of late-season storms swept the Golden State in April and May, dusting the Sierra Nevada with fresh snow.

Did those spring snow showers help bolster the dwindling snowpack that historically provides about a third of the state’s water supply?

The short answer is that every little bit helps, but the snow did not come close to making up for almost no precipitation in January through March, normally the height of California’s wet season, said David Rizzardo, chief of hydrology for California’s Department of Water Resources.

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California Urban Water Use Rose 19% in March Despite Worsening Drought

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jamie Ding

Despite official calls to increase conservation amid worsening drought, urban water use across California increased by nearly 19% in March, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.

The startling conservation figure was among a number of grim assessments water officials offered reporters Tuesday in a California drought outlook. Others included critically low reservoir levels and major shifts in the water cycle due to climate change.

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Rain, Heat, Repeat: What Does Erratic Weather Mean for California Drought and Fires?

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Michael McGough

The pendulum of Northern California weather is getting ready to swing once again, from rain, hail, thunderstorms and snow showers at the start of this week to sunny and much warmer than average temperatures by the weekend.

Temperatures near Sacramento are expected to soar from a forecast high of 65 degrees Tuesday to 92 degrees by Saturday, staying in the upper 80s to low 90s early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Daytime highs near South Lake Tahoe will jump from the mid-30s Tuesday to the mid-70s this coming weekend. Both are roughly 10 degrees hotter than normal for this time of year.

 

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Ventura Agrees to 20-Year Deal to Lease Its State Water Supply. Here’s Why

/in , , /by /Ventura County Starby Cheri Carlson

Ventura has struck a 20-year deal with a Riverside County water wholesaler that would save the city millions of dollars in costs to maintain its rights to imported state water.

Under the agreement approved last month, the city would lease its share of imported water to the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency in Beaumont, an arrangement that would reap $1.1 million this year and cover nearly half of the $2.27 million it will owe to keep its state water entitlement. San Gorgonio would increase its share of the costs starting next year.

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AccuWeather Long-Term Northern California Forecast Includes Potential for Dry Lightning, Continued Drought Next Fall

/in , /by /The Press Democratby Mary Callahan

With more than 1.1 million acres across the drought-afflicted West already charred, 2022 is shaping up to be another year of extremely intense fire activity.

But with the release Wednesday of its official 2022 Wildfire Season Forecast, AccuWeather forecasting company has added a couple of gut punches to this year’s outlook for flame-battered Northern California and the North Bay region.

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Despite April Rains, California Still Faces Significant Drought Conditions as Summer Nears

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

The late-season burst of snow and moisture that blanketed Northern California in April helped make a small dent in drought conditions, experts said, but the majority of the state is still far below where it needs to be as it heads toward the hot, dry months of summer.

Several storms arrived weeks after the final snow survey of the season on April 1, in which state officials reported that statewide snowpack had dwindled to just 38% of average for the date after a bone-dry start to the year.

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Northern California Gets Light Rain and Snow

/in , , /by /AP News

A weak storm system moved through Northern California on Tuesday and a stronger system was expected in the drought-stricken state during the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

Meteorologists reported that Sierra Nevada elevations above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) received 1-3 inches (2.5-7.6 centimeters) of snow, and chains were required on Interstate 80 through the morning.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said rain unexpectedly turned to snow.

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La Niña Expected Through Spring, Brings Uncertainty to Sierra Snowpack

/in , , /by /FOX40by Dennis Shanahan and Jonathan Taraya

The recent dry weather in Northern California might be sticking around for a while.

The Climate Prediction Center forecasts a 77% chance La Niña conditions will continue through the month of May.

The term La Niña refers to a correlation between ocean water temperatures and winter weather patterns.

Oftentimes, the weather event brings wetter than normal conditions to the Pacific Northwest and drier weather to Southern California.

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‘It Could End Up That This Winter Is Actually Contributing to the Drought’: Record-Long Snowless Streak Measured in the Sierra

/in , , /by /KCRAby Heather Waldman

First, it was a few days, then a few weeks and now over a month without measurable rain or snow in Northern California.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab shared on its social media platforms that the site had broken a concerning record. There have now been 33 days straight without snow or rain at the CSSL site in Donner Pass.

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Charts Show Where California Reservoir Levels Stand After Weeks of Dry Weather

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kellie Hwang and Yoohyun Jung

A dry January with little rainfall across much of Northern California actually didn’t hurt the state’s water storage levels, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources.

In fact, thanks to a little snowmelt, water levels were up for all reservoirs from December to January. Lake Mendocino, which has a capacity of 122,400 acre feet, saw the biggest boost from 17% of storage capacity in December to 35% in January. One acre foot is the equivalent of one acre of land covered in one foot of water. Trinity Lake, with a capacity of 2,447,650 acre feet, had the smallest increase from 29% in December to 30% in January.

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