The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes has warned of an intense winter storm impacting the Southern Sierra Nevada and parts of the Intermountain West from November 25 to 28, 2024. Forecasts indicate over 180 mm (7 inches) of precipitation and snow accumulations exceeding 1.5 m (5 feet) at higher elevations, with flash flood and winter storm warnings in effect.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the first full water supply allocation since 2006, benefiting 27 million residents across California after a record winter.
After three months of heavy rain and record snow, California is now facing the risk of floods due to melting snowpacks, as temperatures rise in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada regions.
17 atmospheric rivers and several non-atmospheric-river storms since December 2022 pushed California’s snowpack to its largest level in recorded history, surpassing the previous record set in 1982-1983. In addition, the state’s drought conditions have improved significantly since the start of the water year, with severe to exceptional drought conditions now covering only 6.99% of the area, down from 93% just one year ago.
This winter season in California has been one for the books, with snowpack statewide doubling the normal levels and much above what’s typical by April 1st, historically the deepest snow depth of the season. Despite widespread flooding and mandatory evacuations around rivers and creeks, the southern Sierra region, particularly Soda Springs, has seen an impressive amount of snowfall, marking the second snowiest winter on record with over 17 m (56 feet) of snow. While still shy of the record set during the 1951-52 season, with more snow predicted, it’s expected to come close in the next couple of weeks.
The Sierra Nevada snowpack, a major source of water supply in California, has reached its highest level since 1995, raising hopes for an end to the drought but also concerns about the possibility of flooding due to rapid melting.
A prolonged period of heavy snow falling over the Sierra Nevada mountain range since December 10 dramatically increased its snowpack and by December 27 piled up to 455 cm (193.7 inches) at the UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory. At the University of…
Snowpack over the Sierra has increased dramatically in just 7 days after a series of storms affected the region last week. The sudden change gives California its wettest start to the Water Year (October 1 – September 30) in more than 40 years. A new series of…
A large and slow-moving late-season winter storm started dumping significant heavy snow on California's Sierra Nevada on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Up to 1.8 m (6 feet) of snow is expected in the following days, replenishing the mountains following the…
"With full reservoirs and a dense snowpack, this year is practically a California water supply dream," California DWR Director Karla Nemeth said April 2, 2019, after latest Sierra snowpack measurement. California state officials made their monthly snowpack…
