Current drought conditions contributing to historically dry year
The local region’s current water year is shaping up to be one of the driest on record according to Turlock Irrigation District, with below-average rainfall amplifying California’s existing state of drought.
Data provided by TID Hydrologist Olivia Cramer during Tuesday’s Board of Directors meeting showed that from September 2020 through Jan. 10, 2021, the Tuolumne River Watershed has so far received 5.55 inches of precipitation. Compared to TID’s historical average of 19.02 inches for those same dates, the recent 2020-2021 rainfall numbers account for just 37.9% of normal.
According to Cramer, weather forecasts for the next 16 days are bleak and represent less precipitation than predicted by even the driest scenarios. The rivershed could see as little as a quarter of an inch or less than one-tenth of an inch of rain in the next two weeks based on the forecast.
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The first snowpack survey of the season near South Lake Tahoe surprised state officials.
California Department of Water Resources personnel on Wednesday reported the snowpack to be at 93% of normal for the time of year at Phillips Station, near Sierra-at-Tahoe, but the state average is only 52%.
Sean de Guzman, chief of DWR’s snow survey and forecasting, conducted the measurement and said the numbers are “a little bit higher” than what they have been seeing based on the automated snow sensory network, which is made up of about 130 different sensors placed throughout California.
The snow depth measurement is 30.5 inches and the snow water content is 10.5 inches.