The second snow survey of the winter has found water content statewide at just 12-percent of average for this time of year.
To put it in perspective, statewide records go back to 1960. The lowest water measurement ever was 21-percent in 1991.
Donner Ski Ranch hasn’t been able to open its trails yet. But General Manager Lincoln Kauffman says he remains hopeful.
“We’ll adapt and overcome and get ready for what’s next. It can be pretty gut-wrenching at times,” Kauffman says.
Andy Wirth is with Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Resorts. He says he’s overjoyed by the snow this week. It will mean more trails will open.
“This is a snow storm that’s not going to get us but one marker closer towards being better but it’s a great storm," says Wirth. "We have about nine inches of new snow at Alpine Meadows Squaw Valley, in total we think we’ll get about 30 to 35 inches out of this storm.”
The state’s major reservoirs remain low. Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake are at 36-percent of capacity.
Not only was 2013 the driest calendar year on records going back to 1895, but forecasters say this January may go into the books as the driest ever.
Related Story
July 23, 2018Two nights of aerial spraying to reduce the number of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus are scheduled to begin Monday in parts of Elk Grove, the Pocket Neighborhood and neighborhoods south of Fruitridge Road.
.jpg "Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat captain Brant Allen lowers a Secchi disk from the research vessel into Lake Tahoe. The disk has been used for more than 50 years to measure water clarity at the lake.")
June 13, 2018If you spent time on the water at Lake Tahoe last year and thought it looked a lot cloudier, you're right. UC Davis researchers say extreme weather — drought followed by heavy rains — caused clarity in 2017 to drop to its lowest recorded level.
.jpg "A million fall run Chinook salmon smolts, who were raised at the Feather River Hatchery, are released from large tanks down a long pipe on a dock and out into the Sacramento River.")
May 3, 2018The fish took a ride in a large truck on Wednesday morning and are now headed down the river on a journey to the ocean.
March 8, 2018Using this new approach to calculate the snow’s water content also means improved forecasts for farms and cities, and even positive benefits for renewable-energy production. The program soon could go statewide — if it gets funded.
March 5, 2018(AP) — Monday's snow survey found a "much rosier" picture than before last week's heavy winter storm, but still less than half the usual snow for this point in the season.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
