Dry Spell Cuts Into Snowpack
SACRAMENTO — The crucial Sierra Nevada snowpack has slipped below normal after an above-average early winter, according to a survey Wednesday by the California Department of Water Resources.
Snow levels dropped to about 90% of normal due to dry periods during the last two months. But the snowpack that feeds reservoirs and hydroelectricity plants is still far deeper than last year, when accumulations about a third less than normal aggravated the state’s electricity crisis.
Snowfall in the northern Sierra remained slightly above average, but was below average to the south.
A wet spring could bring the snowpack back up to normal, said department spokesman Jeff Cohen, although the region’s wettest months usually are January and February.
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