Winter storms have blanketed California’s Sierra Nevada in snow, but the drought-prone state is still off to another drier-than-normal start to the crucial wet season, state officials said Thursday.
California water managers said Thursday the Sierra snowpack is only 67 percent of normal in this winter’s first manual measurement.
As snow in the Sierra melts in the spring and summer, it flows into reservoirs for storage and provides drinking and agricultural water for much of California.
The snowpack supplies about 30 percent of the state’s water needs, according to the Water Resources department.
Precipitation has bounced up and down as the state continues to recover from a devastating drought that led to tight water restrictions for residents and farmers.
Persistent drought has also dried out trees and brush, contributing to severe wildfires.
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#ReadLocal Gov.
Jerry Brown declared a formal end to a three-year drought emergency in 2017, but said water conservation efforts must continue.