Monday January 30, 2023
San Francisco Chronicle —
A flurry of storms unloaded historic amounts of rain and snow across California over the past month. The deluges, fueled by a parade of atmospheric rivers, filled reservoirs and have improved drought conditions across large swaths of the state.
The Sierra snowpack has ballooned to more than double its usual size for this time of year. The snow will continue to replenish California’s water supplies as it melts during the warmer months.
But this bounty also carries risks.
“It does set the stage for potentially dealing with flood issues as we move through the snowmelt season,” said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, at a media briefing on Jan. 16. Rain falling on snow, in particular, can cause a rapid melt that overwhelms downstream rivers and reservoirs.