2014 CA snowpack

imported
#1

Still early in the season but here’s the first snow report. CA overall 20% of normal, N Sierra (Tahoe) 10%, central Sierra 20%, S Sierra 30%.

bowlegs

#2

Your % numbers are too high - according to CA Department of Water Resources statewide 7%, North 4%, Central 8%, South 10%.
It’s still ‘early’, but NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center show January through April to be normal to below average precip and normal to above average temps indicating it MIGHT be another relatively low snow year in CA (but, again, it’s too early to know for certain!).

Happy trails!!!

PITA

#3

Just repeating what I heard on the SF bay area news.

bowlegs

#4

Statewide 12% of normal for Jan 30, which is 7% of normal for the entire season. Either way you look at it, it’s way, way below average. Didn’t I just post a couple of seasons ago about the near record HIGH totals?

bowlegs

#5

So does anybody have any insight about whether the exceptionally low snow pack will be problematic for hikers? I can think of a few potential ways that it could throw a wrench into the works:

  1. Shortages of potable water later in the season?
  2. Increased fire danger, possibly resulting in a ban of even camp stoves?

Anyway, I’d love some feedback from anybody who lives in the Sierras and who has experienced this type of extremely low snow winter.

Loup

#6
  1. In Southern Cal, seasonal springs might be dried up 4) In Northern Cal, there might be trail closures do to forest fires 5) If you get to Oregon too early, their snow might be troublesome (I haven’t been following the OR or WA snowpack).

bowlegs

#7

All of the above could be problematic, but i wouldn’t bet on any of them being much worse than the past 2 years. Especially the fire danger. It’s higher, but it still depends a lot on dry lightening strikes and hiker behavior. Sometimes having an early winter significant amount of precip actually encourages more underbrush growth, that then later dries up and makes the situation worse than if you had no growth to begin with. I’d pay attention, but i wouldn’t panic or decide not to hike.

markv

#8

TV news yesterday said statewide snow pack is now 29% of normal for this date. CA Dept of Water resources will do their official snow survey at the end of each month.

bowlegs

#9

Don’t run to Oregon too fast. Mt. Bachelor picked up 5ft. last week. NOAA forecast at Mt. B calls for 3-4ft. more by this friday. It was an extremely dry winter in the cascades too, until Feb. 3rd. then the storm track lined up and we have been getting pounded since.

Sure hope the sierras get plenty more, could be ugly.

RW

#10

Here are the Feb 27 numbers from the CA Water Resources Board. North is 15% of normal for that date, Central is 32%, and South is 24%.

bowlegs

#11

March 30 numbers: North 19% Central 35% South 28%. We’ve got several storm fronts coming thru over the next week. Nothing major but it all adds up.

bowlegs