Sierra snowpack well below normal even after January boost
Submitted by Editor on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 5:30pm
The next chance of precipitation for the Sierra is on Tuesday, with a slight chance of snow or rain, according to the 7-day forecast for Lake Tahoe.
The snowfall in January gave the Sierra snowpack a boost, but it is still well below average, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. The graph above shows the Snow Water Equivalent from the current water year through Feb. 1, the average water year (1971-2000), and the 2010-2011 water year.
The Snow Water Equivalent for this water year through Feb. 1 is around 5 inches, compared to more than 20 inches this time last year, according to the weather service.
The measurements are based on provisional SNOTEL data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service as of Feb. 1. Snow water equivalent is the approximate amount of liquid water in the snowpack.
The next chance of precipitation for the Sierra is on Tuesday, with a slight chance of snow or rain, according to the 7-day forecast for Lake Tahoe.
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