Wednesday November 13, 2024
Courthouse News Service —
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, at some 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, had 6.3 inches of snowfall Monday.
It’s a welcome sign for Andrew Schwartz, the lab’s director. Not just because it’s building the snowpack early in the season, but also because it helps reduce fire risk.
“It’s seeping into the soils,” Schwartz said of the snow. “With lower elevations, the rain does the same thing.”
The snow, which Schwartz said currently dips to 5,500 feet above sea level, doesn’t mean the end of fire season, but it helps.
Jesse Torres, battalion chief of communications for Cal Fire, said Monday’s rain is good, but he’s looking for wetting rain — precipitation that dampens fire risk. Rain on Monday, and more expected Wednesday through Friday, will reduce fire risk, though it’s unknown for how long.