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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSierra snowpack 18% of average; among six worst years ever (with pic)
Last edited Fri May 2, 2014, 12:32 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The scene today at about 7,000 feet elevation:
The heat is on, in more ways than one, as California staggers toward a third drought-plagued summer that will probably include rationing and lots of fighting about how the state should use its precious, dwindling supplies of water.
The snow levels in the Sierra were only 18 percent of average on Thursday, when the last of the season's once-a-month measurements was taken by the California Department of Water Resources. That's worse than last month, when the snowpack was 32 percent of normal for the date.
With mountain temperatures rising into the 70s, it was small surprise that surveyors found no snow at several of the 120 measurement spots, including historic Phillips Station near Echo Summit.
Conditions get worse the farther north one goes in the Sierra and Cascade ranges. The snowpack is a paltry 7 percent of average in the northern part of the state, according to the measurements.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Sierra-snowpack-is-barely-5446649.php
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Related: Tioga Pass in Yosemite high country to reopen Friday
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/05/01/3904476/tioga-pass-in-yosemite-high-country.html
Tioga Pass, the Yosemite gateway to the Eastern Sierra, will have an early opening Friday because of the lack of snowfall this season.
The pass, also know as Highway 120, connects Yosemite National Park with Lee Vining and Highway 395. It is closed as late as July in some years.
This year's snowpack was about 30% of normal, according to a Yosemite Park spokesman. Visitors are cautioned that snow and icy conditions may still exist on hiking trails at higher elevations. All campgrounds along Tioga Road are still closed and commercials services are also closed with no anticipated opening dates.
1000words
(7,051 posts)big trouble.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)we are at a fire scene right? Fire fighters are walking though back yards fighting a brush fire in the river bed. At one point it threatened these same homes we are walking in front of wearing nomex. One of the neighbors, who chose NOT to evacuate. is calmly watering his front yard in the heat of the day.
It is one of those that make you do this...
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Seeing more as a reporter.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)As hubby puts it, both full of hot air and equally damaging.
(And sausage making is not for the faint of heart, though it can be fun)
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,298 posts)hollysmom
(5,946 posts)Even before this drought California was taking more water out of the aquifers than was going in. They really have to develop a new plan to support the farms and people.
It is not just there, I think a lot of areas on this planet will have to rethink where they are. One friend wants me to move to Florida because she thinks shoveling snow is bad for me (I think it keeps me healthy, ha ha. ) I am afraid of hurricanes growing in strength and water table problems. Another wants me to move to North Carolina so we can grow old together, but that state is getting poisoned with the fracking plans. At least we don't have fracking here, although it keeps getting proposed. Now if wecan get rid of the dangerous nuclear plant at the beach. A third wants me to move to Arizona, but too many guns for me and I think they are over tapping their water with all those lawns in the desert.
I am not sure what is going to happen here, I know we have been having tornadoes every year, didn't used to have them, but they are generally very small and mostly take down a few trees. And there are new insects attacking our trees, may lose the pines soon, I fought off the gypsy moths years ago with some natural powder and water. I hope people start working on it soon.
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)rudolph the red
(666 posts)I was surprised to read that this is the 3rd consecutive year of drought. I thought that the Sierra had record snowfall in 2012, but I must be recalling incorrectly.
PumpkinAle
(1,210 posts)I was at Lake Tahoe last week and was dismayed to see how little snow was on the mountains. Other years I have gone the mountains had plenty of snow.
Very sad, very scary.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Wish it landed on the other side of the country instead...we're still not having normal weather!
subterranean
(3,427 posts)There are signs that El Nino conditions may form in the Pacific later this year, which usually bodes well for above-average rainfall in California.
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)the West has had multi-decade droughts with some regularity over the past several millenia; the 19th and 20th centuries were actually unusually wet by historical standards. This may last a while (or it may be the new normal).