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California’s Sierra Nevada Snowpack Remains Significantly Above Average, And That’s Mostly Good News

/in , , /by /The Weather Channel

The southern portion of the Sierra has the heaviest snowpack at 135% of its mid-June average. Since 2001, only 2011 had a heavier snowpack in the southern Sierra this late in the season. The central Sierra is 120% of its mid-June average. Since 2001, only 2017, 2011 and 2005 have had snowpacks on par with or heavier as of mid-June in this portion of the Sierra. Snowpack in the northern Sierra is slightly above average for mid-June, but only five other years since 2001 had snowpack near or above what we are seeing right now in that part of the mountain chain.

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The U.S. Isn’t Nearly As Dry As It Was A Year Ago

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Linda Lam

The United States isn’t nearly as dry as it was a year ago, as demonstrated by massive spring floods, and one area of the West has seen the most dramatic improvement. About only 4 percent of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing drought conditions on June 11, compared to just under 28 percent a year ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. T​he greatest improvements have been in parts of the Southwest, Great Basin and Rockies, and most of the U.S. is expected to remain drought-free this summer. Last June, over 9 percent of the contiguous U.S. – including parts of the Southwest, southern Rockies and Plains – was in extreme or exceptional drought.

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California’s Drought Largely Wiped Out After Winter Of Soaking Rain, Heavy Sierra Snowpack

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Jonathan Belles

Years of drought have been nearly wiped out by an active storm track in California this winter and drought conditions have dramatically improved across the West, and this trend is expected to persist into the spring. A dominant weather pattern featuring a southward dip in the jet stream over the West has allowed a series of precipitation-rich storm systems to track through the region, especially over the last two months.

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California Storm Could Cause Flooding And Debris Flows As Feet Of Snow Pile Up In Sierra Nevada

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Chris Dolce

California will see more soaking rain and feet of Sierra snow into midweek as another storm tapping an atmospheric river of moisture moves into the state. Radar and satellite show the latest Pacific storm is beginning to nudge into the West Coast as of early Tuesday. Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather for the burn areas of southwest California, including Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Evacuations have been ordered by Santa Barbara County for anyone in a debris flow risk area near the Thomas, Whittier and Sherpa fire burn areas.

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West’s Active Winter So Far Has Had A Huge Impact On Drought

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Linda Lam

Drought conditions have dramatically improved this winter in the West and this trend is expected to persist into the spring. A dominate weather pattern featuring a southward dip in the jet stream, or upper-level trough over the western U.S., has allowed a series of precipitation-rich storm systems to track through the region, especially over the last month.

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Here’s How California’s 6 Feet of Snow in 24 Hours Compares to Other Snowfall Extremes

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Chris Dolce and Brian Donegan

Incredible amounts of snow have fallen throughout parts of the Mountain West since last Friday after a one-two punch from winter storms Kai and Lucian. The Sierra Nevada, straddling the border between California and Nevada, has been particularly hard-hit, where one ski resort tallied 6 feet of snow in just one day. Taking that crown is June Mountain, east of Yosemite National Park. June Mountain reported 72 inches of new snow in the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. PST Sunday morning.

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Weekend California Storm May Become Wintry Mess Next Week In The Plains, Midwest And Northeast

/in , /by /The Weather Channel by Jonathan Erdman

A Pacific storm swinging into California this weekend may then spread a mess of snow and ice into parts of the Midwest and Northeast, kicking off the first full week of February early next week. After one of the coldest Midwest outbreaks in a generation, the jet stream pattern will undergo a fundamental change. Instead of taking a nosedive out of Canada into the Great Lakes and Northeast, the jet stream will take a southward plunge in the western U.S. by the weekend. This will push a potent storm to the West Coast this weekend that will work its way into the Plains, Midwest and Northeast early next week.

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Parade Of Storms Bringing Soaking Rain And Feet Of Snow To California Into Late-Week

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Chris Dolce

California will continue to be under a siege of storm systems through Thursday that will send more soaking rain across the state and snow into the higher terrain. This string of stormy weather actually kicked off last Friday into Saturday, when an initial weather system made its way into the state. The rain from that storm triggered a mudslide on the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, California, early Saturday, forcing it to close for a time.

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One Of California’s Most Important Assets Is Off To Great Start This Year

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Jonathan Belles

California’s Sierra Nevada, the state’s increasingly crucial reservoir, is off to a well-above-normal snowpack to begin the wet season. Many of the peaks are seeing double the normal amount of snowpack compared to early-December averages. Several systems, including the disturbance that became Winter Storm Carter, have dumped feet of snow in the Sierra since late November. Snowfall totals ranged from three to five feet of snow in Carter alone. You can see the difference between a rather wimpy late November snowpack and the early December blanket of slow from the Sierra eastward below.

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California’s First Real Soaking of the Season Brings Wildfire and Smoke Relief But Also a Threat of Debris Flows

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Linda Lam and Jonathan Erdman

A major weather pattern change has arrived on the West Coast, bringing relief for California’s wildfires and choking smoke, but it may also unleash enough rain to trigger dangerous debris flows in recently burned areas of the state. Northern California’s Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in state history, is still not fully contained. Smoke from the fires has hung over millions, fouling air quality since last week in the Central Valley and Bay Area. Air quality has begun to improve but remains unhealthy for sensitive groups on Wednesday in the Central Valley of California.

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