California snow pack falls well below normal

hunter

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Fri May-02-08 11:06 AM
Original message

California snow pack falls well below normal

This is not good. Expect food and electricity prices to rise, and with climate change this may be the trend for the Sierra Nevada.

California snow pack falls well below normal

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains fell sharply in the last four weeks as parched soil from last year's dry weather absorbed large amounts of the state's water supply, California officials said on Thursday.

In April, snow depth and water content declined markedly to 67 percent of normal levels, the California Department of Water Resources said in its final snow survey of the season.

Melted snow powers hydroelectric generators and flows into reservoirs, supplying water to state residents, so officials monitor the snow pack closely.

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0146797020080501

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losthills

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Fri May-02-08 02:08 PM
Response to Original message

1. I have a little cabin in the high Sierras.

It used to be that I didn't plan on being able to drive up there from October to the middle of June.
Lately it's been more like November until May. Last year I drove in there in December. I was actually thinking about trying it this week-end but I have a gig...

Year before last, I got busy and left a trailer up there all winter. In times past it would have been crushed like tin can. All it got was a low spot in the roof and water damage to the ceiling.

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NickB79

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Fri May-02-08 07:28 PM
Response to Original message

2. I thought there were record snowfalls in parts of the Rockies?

Or was that in an area that didn't need extra water?

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