(AP) - California water managers say the Sierra Nevada has an above-average snowpack for this time of year, yet it's not enough to make a dent in California's stubborn drought.
Department of Water Resources spokesman Doug Carlson said preliminary estimates taken Wednesday show that recent storms boosted the snowpack's statewide water content to 112 percent of normal for late December.
Officials say it will take moisture levels much greater than normal to have a substantial impact on the drought.
National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Owen says more than a foot of new snow could fall Thursday at Lake Tahoe.
The winter's wet start comes as a sharp contrast to last year.
On Jan. 1, the snowpack measured at 45 percent of the historical average. By April 1, it was at 5 percent, marking a record low.
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
