California's Sierra Nevada Snowpack Growing 200% Above Normal Amount: Water Supply, Flood, or Avalanche?

People wonder if the Sierra Nevada snowpack in California, which is currently over 200% above normal, will increase the water supply, cause a flood, or even slide off the mountains as an avalanche.

The critical snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is steadily increasing, with California's snowpack currently more than 200 percent above average.

The Central Sierra Snow Lab at UC Berkeley tweeted a video of the snowy weather and noted that the region had received 8.5 inches of snow over the previous 24 hours.

Update: DUMPING #snow ❄️❄️❄️#CAwx #CAwater #SnowMo pic.twitter.com/W9oKJ7Kxjz
— UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab (@UCB_CSSL) January 10, 2023

More Than 200% Above Normal

According to the California Department of Water Resources, the snowpack in the Central and Southern Sierra regions is currently more than 200 percent above average for this date and 76% of the April 1 average, when it typically reaches its peak.

The state's water supply depends on the snowpack, which also helps to restock reservoirs before the summer and fall months, both dry seasons.

The state's ongoing drought, which is now entering its fourth year, won't be instantly ended by the storms, but they have helped. Recent storms, excluding the most recent downpour, lifted portions of the state out of the US Drought Monitor's "exceptional drought" classification. However, the majority of the state is still classified as being in an extreme or severe drought, ABC 7 reports.

According to Andrew Schwartz, the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory's manager and lead scientist, California's snowpack is currently 215 percent above average for this time of year, with much of the snow falling in the southern parts of Sierra Nevada, where it has been most needed.

Schwartz added that it's difficult to predict exactly how much this number would rise given the significant storms that are predicted to occur over the next 7 to 10 days.

Sierra Nevada, California

The Central Valley of California and the Great Basin are separated by the 400-mile-long Sierra Nevada mountains, which are mostly found in California. The range includes some of the most well-known landmarks in California, such as Yosemite National Park's El Capitan and Sequoia National Park's enormous redwood trees.

Large amounts of snow have continued to fall in the mountains since the atmospheric river storms hit the state, while torrential downpours of rain have pounded the lower elevations.

Water Supply

Since about 30% of California's water needs are met by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, a larger snowpack could alleviate the state's ongoing drought in the coming months by topping off reservoirs as well as groundwater levels. In some localized areas, the state's rainfall is also assisting in easing California's drought.

Flood

According to Schwartz, there isn't much risk associated with an above-average snowpack when it comes to storing water unless there is a sudden melt event, which can result in flooding.

According to Berkeley News, climate change made rain that falls on top of an existing snowpack melt more frequently throughout 2022, which led to some of the biggest and most destructive floods the region has ever seen.

Avalanche

Schwartz later clarified, however, that there might be some dangers brought on by the snowfall, including an elevated avalanche risk, stress on infrastructure and machinery, and difficulties with travel. Propane leaks from tanks hidden by deep snow that develop in above-average years are one of the biggest problems encountered near the Donner Summit area. Explosions have been caused by the leaks in the past, Newsweek reports.