NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Department of Water Resources will conduct this winter’s third manual snow survey on Tuesday, March 3 just off Highway 50 near Sierra-at-Tahoe Road approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento.
Recent electronic readings have revealed a trend of declining water content in the snowpack this winter.
On Thursday, the statewide water content was just 19 percent of the historical average for the date.
For comparison, the third snow survey of 2014, conducted last February, showed a water content in the snowpack of about 22 percent.
This season’s first two manual surveys on Dec. 30 and Jan. 29 found a below-normal snowpack.
The statewide water equivalent was just 50 percent and 25 percent, respectively, of the historical averages on those dates.
Most of the state’s precipitation normally falls in the north and is collected there for distribution throughout California.
The north has had only two storm series this wet season, in mid- December and early February; both were warm storms and did not produce significant snowfall.
The northern Sierra snowpack’s water equivalent today is only 17 percent of the February 26 historical average.
Electronic snowpack readings are available at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action ; electronic reservoir readings are at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action .
WATER: State's next manual snow survey set for March 3; snowpack water content showing decline
- Lake County News reports
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