SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – The Sierra snowpack continues to break records – some peaks have measured over 700 inches of the white stuff.
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All that snow may mean more bear break-ins this year in the Tahoe region.
California's black bears are waking up from hibernation to something they haven’t seen in recent years – a landscape blanketed by deep snow.
That snowpack makes it even more difficult for bears to scrounge for their early-season staples, like grasses, bark and grubs.
This will likely push them into populated areas even earlier.
"They're out and about and they're cruising around," said Ann Bryant, the executive director of Tahoe's Bear League. "Going up to look in windows."
"But, you know, this is normal," she said. "But I think it is going to be worse this year."
The worst thing that residents can do is feed any of these bears if they come into contact with them.
People can do everything they can to discourage this behavior, like using bear-resistant garbage cans, to reduce the availability of this type of food that bears can consume.
Bear break-ins became more well-known in recent years as the pandemic led to newcomers moving into the Tahoe area who didn't necessarily know the right protocol.
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