Lake Tahoe Doubles Average Snowpack
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Apparently California has been getting a ton of snow... USDA/NRCS graphic.
It feels like every week we report on another massive storm dropping ludicrous amounts of snow on California's mountains. After a full season of record-breaking snowfall, the volume of snow water equivalent (SWE) in the mountains around Lake Tahoe is more than double the historic average. This is great news for the drought-prone regions which depend on snowmelt to water crops and keep people showered.
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Many regions face increased risk of serious flooding this spring. NOAA graphic.
That being said, the large volume of frozen water sitting in North America's mountains can lead to problems as well as solutions. NOAA is warning of major floods in several regions, particularly the Midwest. Depending on how quickly the continental mountain snowpack melts in the next couple of months, residents of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, and Illinois may be cursing the snowfall that we've so enjoyed this season.
