Has the winter of 2022-23 been one of the snowiest on record so far in the Sierra Nevada range?
By Todd Butterworth
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YES
According to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, as of Jan. 16, 2023 (end of day), all but one weather station in the Sierra Nevada range recorded its highest January snowpack ever.
The winter of 1982-83 was an extreme outlier and holds the record for seasonal snowfall in the Sierras, but the winter of 2022-23 is outpacing it. As of Jan. 11, California’s snowpack was 226% of its average for that date and 102% of its April 1 average, when snowpack is typically highest.
According to The Associated Press, this snow, along with rain from California's recent storms, will help drought conditions, but "won’t be enough to fix some of California’s long-term water problems that climate change is making worse."
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Natural Resources Conservation Service Sierra Nevada Snow Depth | January 16, 2023, end of day
KTLA (Los Angeles) California snowpack outpacing highest year on record
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