The West Finally Got Some Snow, but It’s Too Little, Too Late

When a powerful late-season storm dumped more than 3.5 feet (1 meter) of snow in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada over the weekend, it was cause for celebration. Mountain snowpack across the western U.S. has been historically low all winter, but in March, an unprecedented heat wave sent levels plummeting even lower. On April 1, the Sierra snowpack—which provides about 30% of California’s annual water supply—stood at just 18% of the average for that date. It was the second-lowest reading on record for April 1. The weekend storm briefly shut down Interstate 80 and allowed Mammoth Mountain, a ski area in Mammoth Lakes, California, to extend its season. And with a snow drought this severe, any amount of precipitation is beneficial. But unfortunately, the storm did not offset the snowpack deficits that have accumulated over the past several months. That means California—along with the rest of the West—could still be in for an early and ferocious wildfire season. On Wednesday, Sierra snowpack levels were just 11% of normal in the northern part of the range, 25% in the central part, and 28% in the southern part, according to the California Department of Water Resources. While those numb