Dry Spell Cuts Into Snowpack

The crucial Sierra Nevada snowpack has slipped below normal after an above-average early winter, according to a survey Wednesday by the California Department of Water Resources.

Snow levels dropped to about 90% of normal due to dry periods during the last two months. But the snowpack that feeds reservoirs and hydroelectricity plants is still far deeper than last year, when accumulations about a third less than normal aggravated the state’s electricity crisis.

Snowfall in the northern Sierra remained slightly above average, but was below average to the south.

A wet spring could bring the snowpack back up to normal, said department spokesman Jeff Cohen, although the region’s wettest months usually are January and February.