- Another drier than average wet season leaves California with water concerns later this year.
- Parts of California saw well below average precipitation this wet season.
- Severe drought conditions persist.
A new survey of California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack found that the water held in those mountains is 41% below average as the peak of the winter wet season passes, according to the state’s chief of snow surveys and water supply forecasting.
California has distinct wet and dry seasons and April is typically on the tail end of the state’s wet season.
With fewer storm systems expected in the coming months, higher fire concerns may be needed as soils dry and temperatures warm this summer.
Overall, the state has received only about 50% of average precipitation in the current water year, which began last October, and its major reservoirs are only about half full, said Sean de Guzman of the Department of Water Resources.
“It’s currently tied for the third-driest year on record,” de Guzman said during a briefing at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada, where manual measurements have been made since 1941. Much of northern California is a foot below average in precipitation since October.
Precipitation Anomalies Since Oct. 1
(Reds and oranges indicate areas where less rain and snow has fallen compared to average.)This year, California’s precipitation mainly came in the form of snowfall in the Sierra due to colder conditions this winter. This also left conditions closer to the coast drier as less rain fell in the lower elevations. Northern portions of the state picked up more precipitation than southern California but also fell behind more as fewer storm systems arrived in the state.
This is the second consecutive dry winter and comes amid indicators that California is entering another drought just a few years after a five-year dry spell.
Current Drought Conditions
The snowpack normally supplies about 30% of California’s water. How much of the current snowpack ends up in reservoirs remains to be seen.
During the 2012-2016 drought, then-Gov. Jerry Brown watched as a measuring device was placed in a snowless field of grass at Phillips Station and took the drastic step of ordering a 25% reduction in water use.
While the Department of Water Resources characterizes the current year as “critically” dry, California is better positioned than it was back then.
“Even though we have drought-like conditions, Californians as a whole have actually been conserving a lot more water compared to where we were before 2012 when the previous drought started,” de Guzman said. “A lot of the public has continued their effort which is a great sign and we need to keep continuing to do that.”
Portions of this article are from the Associated Press.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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