Sierra Snowpack At 115 Percent Of Normal After January Storms
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The storms that soaked California during the first half of the month have given a big boost to the state's water supply.
Over the three weeks from Jan. 1 until Wednesday, 47 key reservoirs added 580 billion gallons of water, according to an analysis done by the San Jose Mercury News. That's as much water as about 9 million people use in a year.
What a difference a month makes for the Sierra Nevada snowpack. Satellite-based estimates show a maximum snow depth of just below 4 feet while all the recent snows have raised that number to around 9 feet! Snow also now extends into lower elevations of these ranges. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/IpkjVLd8no
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 24, 2019
The combined storage has expanded to 17.74 million acre-feet – enough to fill Folsom lake 18 times.
The statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack is now at 115 percent of normal, up from just 69 percent it was on Jan. 1 – and four times the size it was this time last year.
The snowpack provides about a third of California's water.
Northern California will see warming temperatures through the coming weekend as high pressure builds over the west coast. Daytime highs will reach to between 10 and 15 degrees above normal. #cawx pic.twitter.com/G7vMuh1vqz
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 24, 2019
National Weather Service forecasts show that an extended period of dry condition is expected through the end of January.
Temperatures are expected to be 10-15 degrees above normal come the weekend.