Good and Bad news

Posted by: balzaccom

Good and Bad news - 11/30/16 12:36 PM

What's the weather outlook for the Sierra? Depending on your point of view, things are looking up, or maybe starting to look really down.

First of all, the good news: we've had a ton of rain this fall already (1/3 of our normal rainfall before the end of November!) and that bodes well for the rest of this winter. Here's a story, in the LA Times, that spells it out:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-northern-sierra-nevada-precipitation-20161129-story.html

But if you take a longer view, the picture isn't so pretty. We may be seeing the beginning of a prolonged and deep drought for the next eighty years. Here's THAT story, from a climate researcher at UCLA:


http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/11/28/66446/sierra-snowpack-could-drop-50-by-the-end-of-the-ce/


If nothing else, the two stories should encourage you to get out and enjoy the Sierra now...and next summer...while it is still as beautiful as it is.
Posted by: Barefoot Friar

Re: Good and Bad news - 11/30/16 09:10 PM

I doubt I can get over there soon enough, but I do dream of it. I want to hike the PCT some day.
Posted by: ndsol

Re: Good and Bad news - 12/20/16 08:16 PM

The next climate change model that gets it right will be the first one. And his model shows 7-10 degree increase, which is on the far end of the range.
Posted by: Rick_D

Re: Good and Bad news - 12/21/16 01:32 PM

From a water supply perspective it's startling, as the snowpack represents more storage than any number of reservoirs could begin to and our distribution system to the central and southern state can't be sustained without dependable snow.

The fall northern CA storms have been gratifying, and very welcome indeed, but a giant swath of the state remains in "severe" or "extreme" drought, and those areas are in year six. No relief for the central and southern Sierra is in sight but luckily we have three months left of the precipitation season. Fingers and toes crossed for some help there.
Posted by: hikerduane

Re: Good and Bad news - 12/24/16 07:11 PM

I heard something too from someone the last year or whatever about the beginning of what we would call a long drought, a short period in the bigger scheme.
Duane