DONNER SUMMIT (CBS SF/AP) — A fast-moving storm front dumped about 2 feet of snow at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab nestled near Donner Summit, but warming temperatures were quickly melting away the Spring bounty.
“We received some #snow in the last day but rain moved in, melted it, and it turned to ice overnight. So, we have only 0.6″ (1.5 cm) of #snow to report this morning,” the researchers tweeted on Sunday.
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They also posted a photo of infiltration channels — a sign of water moving in the snowpack.
Did anyone order some late-season #snow? Because we’ve had 7.5″ (19 cm) of snow overnight, 25.6″ (65 cm) in the last 2 days, and 39.4″ (100 cm) in the last 7 days!
It is still dumping out there and more is on the way this week!#CAwx #CAwater pic.twitter.com/W0wGfzKhUK
— UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab (@UCB_CSSL) April 16, 2022
Still, holiday weekend skiers were flocking to the slopes Sunday, enjoying some last-minute spring skiing.
Mammoth Mountain in the eastern Sierra reported a foot of fresh snow. The resort has said it would now remain open to skiing and snowboarding until Memorial Day.
Lake Tahoe resorts also reported significant snowfall. Drivers heading up to the mountains were urged to use caution because of slippery conditions.
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Parts of Northern California including the Bay Area could see pockets of rain for much of the coming week thanks to an unsettled weather pattern stalling over the region, the National Weather Service said.
The welcome precipitation could help slow the start of the fire season, but won’t do anything to alleviate the state’s drought, said Matt Mehle with the weather service office in San Francisco.
“What this rain is doing is bringing moisture and allowing grasses and finer fuels to grow and green up,” Mehle told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It will alleviate fire concerns, at least for the short term.”
The wet spring weather follows an exceptionally dry winter that leaves California facing another year of drought and tightening water supplies.
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The Sierra Nevada snowpack, a key part of the water supply, was just 30% of the April 1 average, the date when it historically is at its peak, the California Department of Water Resources said earlier this month.
