Sierra snowpack greater than average for end of January

One week of heavy snowfall has brought California’s snowpack above normal for this time of year, according to the latest readings from the state Department of Water Resources.

Manual and electronic readings on Friday showed the water content in California’s mountain snowpack is 115 percent of normal for the date statewide. This time last year, snow water content was 61 percent of normal statewide.

“Today’s snow survey offers us some cautious optimism as we continue to play catch-up with our statewide water supplies,” said DWR chief deputy director Sue Sims.

The snow depth at Phillips Station near Echo Summit was 62.6 inches Friday, with 20.3 inches of water content. That’s 106 percent of normal for the end of January.

But state water officials say that, because the reservoirs are still low, a dry end to the winter and spring could still put California back into a drought condition.

“We are still looking at the real possibility of a fourth dry year,” Sims said. “Even if California is blessed with a healthy snowpack, we must learn to always conserve this finite resource so that we have enough water for homes, farms, and businesses in 2010 and in the future.”

Lake Oroville, the main storage reservoir for the State Water Project (SWP) is at 33 percent of capacity, and 50 percent of average storage for this time of year. Lake Shasta, the principal storage reservoir for the federal Central Valley Project, is at 56 percent of capacity, and 82 percent of average for the date.

Mostly clear today ahead of unsettled week

SUNDAY JANUARY 31 5:55 am….A low pressure system that brought about three inches of snow to parts of Tahoe Friday night and Saturday has moved east, and Sunday should be a very pleasant day. The biggest issue will likely be fog, especially in the mountain valleys. But most part of the Basin should be clear today.

The week ahead is likely to be unsettled but also unsatisfactory for snow lovers. Several weak storm systems are lining up in the Pacific and are forecast to pass through the Sierra beginning as soon as Monday night. But as of now most of them look like they will be either falling apart as they reach the mountains or will be sending most of their energy north or south of Tahoe. We are likely to see plenty of clouds and perhaps some light snow with short breaks in between systems from Tuesday through Friday, but nothing that would be considered a major storm. It is possible that all of the systems combined could add up to some accumulation but they might also yield very little. We’ll know more once they get themselves straightened out and their tracks and precip potential come into better focus.

The next potential big one on the horizon is trying to set up for next weekend, perhaps arriving as early as Friday. But the computer models are still in pretty serious conflict about that one too, so we can’t count on it yet.

Stay tuned for updates.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Sunday 36
Monday 38
Tuesday 40

At 7000 feet

Sunday 34
Monday 34
Tuesday 34

Regional radar with rain/snow mix:

Light snow today

SATURDAY JANUARY 30 5:29 am….Very light snow began falling over parts of Tahoe overnight as a weak low pressure system passes through the region. It was still snowing this morning but accumulations so far have been little more than a dusting. This system does have one more cell moving into northwestern California early today and if it moves across Tahoe later this morning we could still see as much as a few inches at the higher terrain. There is enough potential precipitation in this storm to bring as much as 4 or 5 inches to favored locations, but the showers will be so scattered that most places could get far less than that amount.

Sunday should be far beneath a ridge of high pressure building briefly over California before a week of unsettled weather. The first in a series of modest storms is due to arrive in California late Monday or Tuesday, and a trough of low pressure that will park off the coast should be spinning energy our way most of the week. So far none of the waves look terribly impressive but we could have a steady dose of clouds and snow showers.

A more significant storm is still in the forecast for later in the week and into next weekend. If it develops its full potential and taps into some subtropical Pacific moisture it could be a major event.

Stay tuned for updates.

Forecast Highs

Tahoe City

Saturday 34
Sunday 36
Monday 36

At 7000 feet

Saturday 31
Sunday 31
Monday 34
Regional radar with rain/snow mix:

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