Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

11 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

12 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

12 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

13 hours ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

16 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

16 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

17 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

17 hours ago
January Dries Sierra Snowpack From 160% to 92% of Normal
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
February 1, 2022

Share

 

SACRAMENTO — The water in California’s mountain snow is now lower than the historical average after a January without significant rain or snow — a dramatic reversal from December that demonstrates the state’s challenges in managing its water supply.

“That one dry month of January basically wiped out whatever head start we had as we head towards the end of winter.” — Sean de Guzman, state Department of Water Resources

Snow totals updated Tuesday by the state Department of Water Resources show the water in the Sierra Nevada snowpack is at 92% of what’s normal for this date. In December, heavy rain and snow left the state with 160% of its average snow water content.

“Our climate is experiencing these volatile shifts from wet to dry year after year, and even month after month,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the department’s snow surveys and water supply forecasting section.

The extremely wet December followed by a dry January was strikingly similar to previous months, which included a very wet October followed by a dry November.

More Rain, Snow Needed to Ease Drought

De Guzman spoke from a location near Lake Tahoe where the state periodically measures snowpack. Snow totals there were slightly higher than average, indicating the varying conditions across the state. It’s one of the hundreds of locations where the state manually and electronically measures snow totals and water content.

The whipsaw effects of the weather and precipitation were illustrated by the situation on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe in Reno, which had zero precipitation the entire month of January for the first time in recorded history. That came months after the city experienced its wettest October since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1893.

California needs a wet winter to ease the drought because much of the state’s precipitation typically falls between December and March. Most of California is now in what’s considered severe drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with only a small part of the state classified as being in the more serious extreme drought. That’s a significant improvement over the situation a year ago.

December Though March Typically Wettest Months

Winter snow is a crucial part of California’s water supply and December through March are typically the wettest months of the year. Snow that melts in the mountains and runs down into California’s lower elevations makes up about a third of the state’s water supply.

As of now, the water content in the snow is at 57% of the April 1 average, a key measurement data that indicates how much water the state will have from runoff in the spring and summer.

“That one dry month of January basically wiped out whatever head start we had as we head towards the end of winter,” de Guzman said.

State Meets Conservation Goal for December

Meanwhile, officials at the State Water Resources Control Board announced Tuesday that Californians met Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for a voluntary 15% reduction in water use for the first time in December, thanks to the heavy precipitation. Overall people used 16.2% less water compared to the December before. Still, cumulative savings since Newsom made his request in July sit at just 7.4%, officials said.

E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the water board, called the December conservation numbers “incredibly impressive” and said they demonstrate that people are being more mindful of their water use during wet times. The state board recently adopted mandatory water restrictions including a ban on watering lawns within 48 hours of a rainstorm, but that rule wasn’t yet in effect in December.

But he stressed that continued conservation is necessary as dry conditions have returned.

“We’re looking to hopefully get a few more storms this water year, but the storm door may be closed,” he said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

DON'T MISS

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

DON'T MISS

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

DON'T MISS

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

DON'T MISS

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

DON'T MISS

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

DON'T MISS

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

DON'T MISS

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

UP NEXT

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

UP NEXT

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

UP NEXT

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

UP NEXT

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

UP NEXT

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

UP NEXT

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

UP NEXT

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

UP NEXT

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

UP NEXT

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

UP NEXT

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

9 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

10 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

10 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

10 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

10 hours ago

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

10 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

11 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

12 hours ago

Fresno Police Recover Some of the $40,000 in Fireworks Stolen From Bullard High Team

12 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

12 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

A two-vehicle collision sent a woman driving one of the vehicles to the hospital with a head injury Thursday afternoon in Fresno. Fresno pol...

7 hours ago

A crash causes a traffic jam in northwest Fresno on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)
7 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned 52,593 acres with 5% containment, prompting evacuation orders in several San Luis Obispo County zones as of Thursday, July 3, 2025, afternoon. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

8 hours ago

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

9 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

An ICE agent talks with migrants about their scheduled appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Father’s Day, to learn about their immigration status, in Chicago, Illinois., U.S., June 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

Boeing logo and miniature satellite model are seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

10 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
10 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend