A lack of snow depth in the Sierra Nevada portends risks for forest fires, according to the most recent readings from the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab.
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Scientists from the lab, which is located at an elevation of about 6,900 feet near Donner Summit, take snow measurements and examine how the climate is changing.
Andrew Schwartz, station manager and lead scientist at the snow lab, told KCBS Radio that for the first time since October, all metrics they've measured are below average.
"We're at 99% of our average snowfall, as well as 97% of our average precipitation which is rain and snow," he said. "Those sound pretty solid overall, except a lot of that boost came early in the season and a lot of that snow has since melted."
Schwartz added that the important metric is the snow water equivalent - the amount of water that can be melted out of the snowpack - which stands between 63% to 67%. Aside from the fear of having enough water and the potential for water restrictions, the major worry from that data is the increased danger of forest fires.
"We're about 2½ to 3 feet behind where we were last year in terms of overall snow depth," Schwartz said. "That means that it’s going to melt a lot faster and as a result our forests are going to dry out faster."
This could lead to the same catastrophic conditions seen last summer.
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