CA Snow Survey Chief - New Record "Completely Obliterating" Prior Record Low From 1976-77
April 1 is supposed to mark the high point of California’s snowpack. It’s when officials estimate how much water they’re going to see flowing into reservoirs as winter’s snow melts during the spring and summer. But after this hot, dry winter, there wasn’t much to measure, and the snowpack came in at a shocking 6 percent of normal — an all-time record low.
The previous record for low snowpack was the 25 percent of normal recorded this time last year, as well as in another period of record drought, from 1976-1977. California has been in the throes of a drought that is now in its fourth year, and that has been linked to climate change.
“So we’re not only setting a new low, we’re completely obliterating the previous record,” David Rizzardo, the chief of snow surveys for California’s Department of Water Resources, said during a teleconference held by the water-focused non-profit Circle of Blue.
The gripping drought has prompted California’s governor to announce statewide mandatory water restrictions for the first time. In a state that gets up to 30 percent of its water from snowpack, residents and officials are bracing for worse impacts, including more blows to a state agriculture that has already lost billions, crucial ecosystems impacts, and an increased risk of major wildfires. “The drought is already having far-reaching effects that will intensify over the coming months,” Heather Cooley, the water program director at the non-profit Pacific Institute, said during the teleconference.
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http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-snowpack-obliterates-record-low-18847