California's snowpack, crucial for the state's water supply, stands at 85% of average, with significant regional variations. The northern Sierra Nevada has experienced above-average snowfall, while the central and southern areas lag behind due to varied weather patterns. These differences arise from warming winters and a trend attributed to climate change, causing lower elevations to see diminished snowfall. Even though precipitation has occurred, it has predominantly fallen as rain rather than snow, resulting in a concerning ongoing decline in snow accumulation.
California's snowpack, which typically supplies nearly a third of the state's water supply, now stands at 85% of average for this time of year.
That's really a signature of warmer temperatures. There has been precipitation in the mountains...but that has been more in the form of rain than snow for much of the season.
Across the central and southern Sierra mountains, average temperatures over the last three months have ranged from 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 30-year average.
Scientists found that mountain snow lines in California have already crept higher because of rising temperatures, leading to less snow accumulation in lower elevations.
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