March 1, 2014 State of Nevada Estimates Show Lack of Snow Accumulation

March 1, 2014 State of Nevada Estimates Show Lack of Snow Accumulation

Snow has accumulated since the beginning of March, 2014, but the storms have not been so significantly large that they have produced the overall amounts in the locations shown on this map.  The Sierra Crest shows accumulations of 20 to more than 90 inches on the ground at higher elevations on March 1, 2014.  As mentioned in earlier posts, this is important because snowpack serves as the sustaining source of water for the major systems originating in the Sierra Crest (including the Truckee, the Carson and the Walker Rivers). We rely on deep snowpack that does not warm and melt too quickly.  The snowpack serves almost as a reservoir without a dam. 

Looking eastward from the Sierra Crest we can see that accumulations across the state are very low, especially in the area that lies beneath the persistent area of exceptional drought shown in last week's drought report.  The April 1 water supply outlook, due out tomorrow, will have the latest information about snowpack accumulations throughout the state.  Given recent storm fronts sweeping to the east, our snowpack accumulations should improve.  However, it is important to remember that snowpack is only part of the story--the snow needs to melt slowly enough so that it is released over months to sustain flows and fill reservoirs.