California Drought: Sierra Nevada Snowpack Falls Below Average After Dry January
Like the 49ers fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, California’s once-impressive Sierra Nevada snowpack is steadily shrinking.
Only a month ago on New Year’s Day, after big atmospheric river storms in October and December, the statewide Sierra snowpack stood at an impressive 168% of normal for that date, boosting hopes that the state’s severe drought might be ending.
But on Monday, the magnificent became mediocre: The snowpack had fallen to just 93% of its historical average.
