According to the California Department of Water Resources, snowpack totals are above normal for the first time since 2012; however, experts caution that this good news needs to continue to see drought relief.
The regional censors say that as of December 29, the northern Sierras are at 110 percent of normal to date, central Sierras are at 119 percent and the southern Sierras are at 88 percent. This is good news for California, especially with El Nino reports predicting wet weather in the next few months. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey notes those yearly percentage totals and what it means in terms of drought relief in the spring.
Sierra Nevada Snowpack Totals And California Drought
Did you know you can view snowpack and precipitation totals anytime? Visit the California Department of Water Resources for interactive maps.
Latest Drought News
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted a resolution today authorizing the allocation of $5 million in funds to help residents on private wells and small water systems who are facing water emergencies.
The funds, which will be administered by nonprofit organizations, will help individuals that have an immediate drought-related water shortage or outage. The $5 million will fund interim and permanent solutions such as new wells, well rehabilitation, and consolidation into new or existing public water systems. The funding will expand and augment the existing grant and low-interest loan program nonprofit organizations are currently offering through a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program. Read more from the drought page at CA.gov