Thursday February 22, 2024
San Francisco Chronicle —
After a slow start to the year, the Sierra Nevada snowpack has grown by leaps and bounds in recent weeks, thanks to a series of heavy storms with especially big impacts in the northern Sierra.
The latest measurements from the California Department of Water Resources places the statewide snowpack at 85% of normal for this time of year, according to data as of Tuesday. In comparison, the snowpack was just 52% of average on Jan. 30 and a paltry 25% of average on Jan. 2.
But the gains haven’t been evenly distributed.
“Recent storms have provided a boost (to) the snowpack, but the Central and Southern Sierra still have not caught up from the deficit accumulated earlier this season,” said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the Department of Water Resources, by email.