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Rainfall Vs. Snowpack: California's Confusing Drought

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Not all droughts are created equal.  In fact, not all dry years are created equal.  This is especially true this winter, where the disparity between our rainfall deficit (not that huge) and our snowpack deficit (very large) is quite significant.

Here's what I mean.  Thanks to the deluge we received in December, rainfall in the Bay Area for the "Water Year" (now defined as October 1 through September 30) is around 80% of average.  Granted, much of that fell in just a few weeks, but it did fall… and much of that rain is being stored right now in local reservoirs.  It's certainly not saying much, but this already is the wettest winter we've had during our four-year drought.

Snowpack is an entirely different matter.  The heavy rain we received in December was tropical in nature, meaning it fell as rain – and not snow – up to 9000 feet in elevation.  The downpour in early February also featured tropical rainfall.  As a result, snow totals have been anemic, and the current snowpack – 9% of the late-March average – is the lowest we've ever seen this late into the water year.  Anyone dependent on water from Sierra snowmelt this summer is going to be very disappointed.

Rainfall amounts typically drop significantly once we get past Easter, and the latest 8-14 Day Outlook from the Climate Prediction Center calls for below-average precipitation between now and Easter weekend.  Bottom line, we will all feel the pinch of water conservation this summer… but those dependent on snowmelt will feel it worse than others.

 

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