A puzzling mix of powerful storms followed by unseasonably warm weather has still left California’s snowpack levels below average, the state’s Department of Water Resources announced Friday.
The results of the department’s third snow survey of the season show that the state’s snowpack stands at only at 85% of what is typical for this time of year, the department said in a news release . This measurement comes following a winter that’s been “marked by a series of extremes,” the Water Resources release said, with warm, dry conditions interspersed with strong atmospheric river-fueled storms .
The average dropped from 97% in mid-February, and will continue to drop every day it doesn’t snow, according to the department.
Though storms are expected through March, “there is no guarantee” that snowpack levels will reach average by April 1, when levels typically peak, the department said. According to Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Hanford office, there’s a good chance the upcoming storms won’t produce enough snowfall to make a significant difference…