Miracle March’? Feet of Sierra Snow Beginning This Weekend Is Just What California Needs
By Linda Lam3 hours agoweather.com
Needed Precipitation Ahead For California
-March 14,2020-
At a Glance
A slow-moving storm will bring heavy snow to California’s Sierra beginning this weekend.
Several feet of snow may accumulate through the middle of next week.
This is great news for the state’s snowpack, a key for replenishing reservoirs in spring and summer.
California’s record driest February increased concern for drought.
Snowpack remains much lower than average in the Sierra, but reservoirs generally remain in good shape.
Much-needed snow will blanket California’s Sierra Nevada high country this weekend into next week, bringing hope of a “Miracle March” that could replenish vital, water-providing snowpack after a record-dry February.
A major change in the weather pattern is taking shape for Northern California as unsettled and colder conditions will emerge. This change will be accompanied by low pressure that will track southward near the West Coast this weekend and will remain near California early next week before this system pushes eastward into the Great Basin.
Significant precipitation in Northern California is often associated with this pattern, the National Weather Service office in Sacramento commented in its forecast discussion Thursday morning.
Precipitation has begun in Northern California and will persist for much of the state into the middle of next week. The heaviest snowfall will likely occur Saturday night into Sunday evening. Major impacts are likely in the Sierra, with whiteout conditions expected at times.
Current Radar
Feet of snow are anticipated in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, and winter storm warnings have been posted for elevations above 2,500 feet in Northern California. At least 6 inches of snow is also expected in California’s Siskiyous and higher elevations of the coastal ranges.
Moderate to heavy rainfall is also likely in the lower elevations.
Rain and Snow Forecast
Recent Dry Conditions
The term “Miracle March” comes from March 1991 when California was “experiencing the worst drought since the Dust Bowl” and Lake Tahoe was at a record low, according to Tahoe Mountain Lodging. Then, it began snowing March 1, and Lake Tahoe’s snowpack increased from 17% of average to 73% by the end of the month.
California is not suffering nearly the magnitude that drought.
Forty-eight percent of the state is now in moderate drought, the lowest grade of drought in the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought Conditions
(U.S. Drought Monitor)
So, they don’t really need a “miracle” of heavier mountain snow this March. But it certainly would be welcomed.
California’s driest February on record followed a drier-than-average January. San Francisco and Sacramento received no precipitation in February, a month usually in the heart of the wet season. It was just the second time San Francisco recorded no precipitation in February and the first such occurrence in Sacramento in records dating to the mid-19th century.
Snowpack in the Sierra is less than 50% of where it typically is this time of year. The Sierra as a whole is at about 38% to average, according to California’s Department of Water Resources.
So, this upcoming snowfall is essential to avoid dire conditions heading into the dry season. Snowpack in the mountains melts during the spring and summer and replenishes reservoirs in the dry months. A lack of snow during the wet season is concerning for water supply and the wildfire threat.
Snow Water Equivalent in the Sierra
(California’s Department of Water Resources)
Despite the poor condition of the snowpack, reservoir conditions across most of the Golden State are near average for early to mid-March, due to last season’s rain and mountain snow.
In addition, there are indications that at least parts of California may see wetter conditions continue into late March, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
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