California’s snowpack has reached an all-time low since 1950, the California Department of Water Resources announced last week.
Like most states in the West, the department takes regular snowpack measurements, which are used to predict the amount of water California can expect to see in its reservoirs. The measurements are also an indicator of how dry and possibly fire-prone California’s landscape has become.
California’s snowpack accounts for 30 percent of the state’s water, once it melts, the release said.
Snowpack measurements are taken against an average — at 100 percent — making anything less than 100 less than average. California’s snowpack has been on a steady decline since January of this year. The latest measurement was 8 percent of the historical average. Typically, snowpack is at its peak in California by April 1.
The state is going into its fourth year of extreme drought, following three of its driest years on record.
A morsel of historical context…
Central Sierra Snow Lab from 1879 to 2013:
http://www.thestormking.com/Weather/Sierra_Snowfall/sierra_snowfall.html
Granted the above is only one location and (as yet) doesn’t include the 2014-15 snow season data.