The drought-stricken West breathed a sigh of relief over the holidays as much-needed snow fell across the region. Snowpack levels are now from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevadas, according to the National Weather and Climate Center.
鈥淩ight now things are looking promising,鈥� said Cody Moser, senior hydrologist for the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center.
He says the recent snow is a huge help for a region suffering from a severe and prolonged drought.
鈥淭he last three weeks of December were very good in terms of bringing above-average precipitation and snow,鈥� he said.
More snow and rain is expected in the coming weeks. If snowpack levels remain high into the spring, it鈥檒l be great news for the parched Colorado River system and its two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are currently at historically low levels.
In 2020 the region saw an above average snowpack but a dry spring and scorching hot summer quickly eroded its benefits to the Colorado River Basin.
The most recent illustrates the extent of the West's moisture deficit:
Substantial December precipitation prompted a one-category improvement to California, along with parts of Nevada and Utah. No precipitation has been observed at Clayton, for 76 days which is the fifth-longest streak on record.
— NOAA NCEI (@NOAANCEI)
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