How serious is the ‘snow drought’ in the Sierra Nevada?
Good morning. It’s Thursday, Jan. 4. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- The Sierra Nevadas (and much of the West) are dealing with “snow drought”
- Kevin McCarthy gives a cheeky answer for his newest government gig
- L.A.’s most celebrated Ethiopian restaurant reopens this week
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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A serious Sierra Nevada ‘snow drought’
Powerful December storms brought record rain and heavy surf to parts of Southern California, but it’s a different story at higher elevations. Experts say Sierra Nevada is experiencing a serious “snow drought” so far this season.
That’s different from the kind of drought we’re more familiar with, which means a precipitation deficit over an extended period. Snow drought refers to a deficit in the expected amount of snow. So although the mountains may be getting a fair amount of rain, that rain has not been turning into much snow at higher elevations.
“While there is still time for snowpack conditions to improve, the potential for a meager snow season is worrying,” Times reporter Hayley Smith wrote this week. “For decades, Californians have depended on the reliable appearance of spring and summer snowmelt to provide nearly a third of the state’s supply of water.” The lack of snow could also affect forests, leaving them drier and more at risk of fire.
And it’s not just California. The National Integrated Drought Information System reports that much of the West is facing a snow drought, including the Northern Rockies and parts of the southern Intermountain West.
California officials on Tuesday conducted the season’s first Sierra snow survey, which measured only 7.5 inches deep. That’s 30% of the average snowpack for the date.
“The January snow survey is always our first big reveal of snow conditions for the year,” Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources’ snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit, told Hayley. “Last year on this date, we were standing on almost 5 feet of snow — so vastly different than what we are standing on here today.”
Hayley noted a couple of reasons for the snow drought: warmer conditions brought on by both an El Niño weather pattern that arrived in June and human-caused climate change.
In the meantime, state officials are preparing for two possible outcomes: extreme dry conditions that brought on a historic drought in recent years or extreme wet conditions like we experienced last winter.
But there could be some good weather news headed our way. Another storm system is making its approach and is expected to bring colder conditions that will drop snow to their lowest elevations so far this season. Residents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties could wake up to noticeable snow atop their local mountains.
Snowfall is also expected at higher elevations in the Sierra this weekend, though scientists say it won’t make much of a dent in the current low snowpack.
On the plus side, the recent rainfall has helped replenish California’s major reservoirs. And officials note that a lot can happen between now and April, when the state’s snowpack typically peaks.
Today’s top stories
Politics
- Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress last month, posted about his newest government gig.
- Former President Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a Colorado ruling that he cannot run again because he engaged in insurrection.
- Court documents with the names of people connected in some way to Jeffrey Epstein have been released.
- A Los Angeles man was denied a green card over his tattoos. The Supreme Court might take up his case.
- ‘How are we going to defend ourselves?’ Inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
- Anti-Trump Republicans say Nikki Haley is their ‘only hope.’ But is her surge coming too late?
Science and technology
- The first SpaceX launch of 2024, which took place Tuesday night, included something that none of the company’s prior launches did.
- A potent antibiotic has emerged in the battle against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs.
- The former indoor mall long known as the Westside Pavilion will become the UCLA Research Park and will house two multidisciplinary centers focusing on immunology and immunotherapy as well as quantum science and engineering.
More big stories
- New snow is headed to Sierra Nevada as rain gives way to wind in Southland.
- T.I. and Tiny say they ‘are innocent of these fake claims’ amid a sexual assault lawsuit.
- A mob of over 100 people burglarized a bakery in Compton early Tuesday after participating in a nearby street takeover, according to sheriff’s deputies.
- UC Berkeley officials hope a barrier of cargo containers will keep protesters out of People’s Park while the campus moves to convert the historic site to student housing.
- Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California isn’t ensuring they work.
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Commentary and opinions
- Robin Abcarian: Really young voters? You want to teach Democrats a lesson by letting Trump back into the White House?
- Editorial: Hydrogen isn’t clean if it adds to climate pollution. Biden’s rules are a good start.
- Opinion: The U.S. is facing the biggest COVID wave since Omicron. Why are we still playing make-believe?
- Harry Litman: This surprise argument could derail Trump’s effort to delay the Jan. 6 trial.
- Michael Hiltzik: On Harvard, plagiarism, and the racist right-wing attack on university education.
- Opinion: Nikki Haley is the best hope to keep Trump out of the White House.
- Amy Kaufman: Taylor and Travis’ whirlwind romance is the love story we’ve been waiting for.
Today’s great reads
A potent antibiotic has emerged in the battle against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs. For the first time in half a century, researchers have identified a new antibiotic that appears to kill a deadly, drug-resistant superbug.
Other great reads
- Will 2024 be the year employers crack down on remote work? Not so fast.
- With ‘Origin,’ Ava DuVernay tackles race issues through a new lens.
- In a sea of nonalcoholic IPAs, we tried 19 of them. Here’s how they rank.
- How ‘Priscilla’ reexamines an iconic love story.
- I used to sober-drink water. How the new nonalcoholic cocktail wave let me join the party.
- Sneezing, crying, throwing up: How actors make bodily functions feel real onstage.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🍲 L.A.’s most celebrated Ethiopian restaurant reopens this week for a new beginning.
- 🏃🏽Looking to jump start your 2024? Here are 4 Latino running clubs in L.A.
- 🍺 This L.A. restaurant is leading the evolution in nonalcoholic beverages.
Staying in
- 📺 The 14 TV shows we’re most excited about in 2024.
- 📘 An off-the-grid herbalist hits the skids in an earthy new Bonnie Jo Campbell novel.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for fried chicken tenders.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... from our archives
On this day 17 years ago, Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as the first female speaker of the House. Not only was the 66-year-old the first mother to take ownership of the big chair, she was the first grandmother, and she made sure the nation knew it.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Elvia Limón, multiplatform editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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