Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Just as in the good old days--before anyone heard of El Nino or La Nina--frigid winter storms are barreling one after the other into California from the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska. It’s a winter wonderland along the 400-mile length of the Sierra Nevada. Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain ski areas already have 7-foot snowpacks, with Sugar Bowl, near Donner Summit, reporting a 10-foot base.

The December snowfall has far surpassed the meager totals of the previous two Decembers. “Unbelievable,” one resort worker gushed.

Better yet, the snowfall pretty much dispels the fear that California is on the verge of a drought year. The Sierra snowpack already is half the normal total for the winter. This is critical because the Sierra is the source of two-thirds of the water consumed in California by city folks and farmers. The Sierra provides major supplies to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the water systems of both San Francisco and Oakland.

Statistically, California still is at risk for a drought year or years. Water officials caution that conditions can change quickly. If the weather suddenly turns warm and dry for a few weeks, the snowpack could shrink back to normal, one expert says. But for now, the storms keep coming with wonderful regularity.

Another series of storms hit going into the weekend, leaving snow as low as 2,500 feet and dumping an additional 18 inches of fluff in the high country. The only things needed now are sleigh bells, a fire in the fireplace and something warm to sip.