With Rains Come Benefits To Forest That Aren’t Always Obvious

The big weekend storm means an end to the official fire season and perhaps the start of long-term healing to California’s drought-devastated pine forests. There are twists to both stories. Over the weekend near Tahoe, the snow line was roughly 8,500 feet, well above 7,056-foot Donner Pass on Interstate 80, and flash-flood watches were posted early Sunday for creeks and below burn areas in the Tahoe region.After the series of storms passes, the high snow level means hikers and shoulder-season campers still will have access to vast areas of national forest, including right up to the Sierra crest at Tahoe.