According to an article I saw in USA Today,  Schwarzenegger Issues state of emergency…

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday because of three years of below-average rain and snowfall in California, a step that urges urban water agencies to reduce water use by 20%.

Looking back at water info dating back to 2006…

• 2006 was an above average year and saying it that is understatement. 2006 was huge which and left California with full reservoirs going into the 2007 winter season.
• 2007 was a pretty bad winter leaving California with something like 50% or less in some areas.
• 2008 wasn’t all that bad…  with 80% – 95%.
• 2009… some are estimating that California might end up with an 80% year.

Read more…

Posted yesterday in the SacBee

Last Piece purchased for South Fork American River Trail

The American River Conservancy has been fund raising for several years now for purchase land along the South Fork American to connect Coloma and Folsom Lake via a hiking / mtn biking trail.

This is great news that they have acquired the last piece of land and trail work to finish the final four miles is scheduled to begin in April of this year and be completed in 2010.

Excellent conditions statewide.  There is still more snow in the forecast today and tomorrow. Then a break for a couple days before the next major system sets. The next storm due in later this week will be a slightly warmer storm which will be great so we have some snow with more water content.  A rundown of current mountain conditions follows…

Alpine Meadows: 15″ – 20″ in the last 24hrs
Boreal Ridge: 13″ -20″ in the last 24hrs
Sugar Bowl: 11″-16″ in the last 24hrs
Northstar-at-Tahoe: 5″-8″ in the last 24 hrs
Squaw Valley: 6″-8″ overnight
Sierra-at-Tahoe: 10″ in the last 12 hrs
Kirkwood: 24″-28″ in the last 24hrs
Heavenly: 2″ in the last 12hrs
Bear Valley: 19″ in the last 12hrs
Mammoth: 27″ in the last 24hrs
Big Bear / Snow Summit: 18″ in the last 24 hrs
Mountain High: 16″-18″ in the last 24hrs

Drive safe, carry chains and be sure to check for highway closures via Cal-Trans.

Looking at the weather this weekend… I wish I was living in California right now because the conditions should be nothing short of awesome.

It is currently snowing with accumulations of 6-12 inches above 7000′ It is expected to be a bit windy.. about 10-20 miles an hour… upto to 65 mph gusts over the ridges. Later on tonight… cold and more snow.  Temps expected to drop to 2 below and 2 to 6 inches of some very dry, very fluffy powder!

There is a winter storm advisory until 6pm this evening.

Conditions for the next few days are all about the same… snow, but not quite as cold overnight.  Looking out even further, Weather.com has snow in the forecast through next Saturday.
 

Winter has returned to the Sierra’s.. it been snowing for several days now with more in the forecast. Here’s an overview of conditions across Lake Tahoe as well as Central and Southern California.

Sierra at Tahoe.. 14″ in the last 12 hours..  30 inches = storm total

Heavenly: 7-10″ in the last 12 hours… up to 20 inches = storm total

Kirkword: 24-36″ in the last 24 hours… up to 50″ in the last 7 days

Mammoth: 16″ in the last 24 hours + 28″ since the 5th.. storm total, 48 inches.

Sugar Bowl: 12 – 16 inches of new snow

Boreal: 12 – 18 inches of new snow

Northstar at Tahoe: 10-13″ in the last 24 hours… up to 21 inches in the last 7 days

Squaw Valley: 12-16″ of new snow

Alpine Meadows: 22 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours.

Bear Valley: 16 inches of new snow as of 11AM Monday

Big Bear: More than 18 inches reported.

Sierra Summit: 14 – 18 inches… 30 inches storm total.

Enjoy!

At last some snow in the forecast! Snow level is supposed to start at 8000′ feet and gradually lower down to about 6500′. This upper elevation system is not going to drop a ton but its snow none-the-less.

What’s great about upper elevation systems like this is we get wet packy snow way up high. That wet snow is packed with water content which we need in the spring and summer to go whitewater rafting.

So when it comes to having enough water in our rivers is due to wet snow. I know, I love the deep fluffy powder from a cold storm but I also like to have my cake and eat it too!

This is the storm we’ve all been waiting for! In the last 24hrs, reports of up to 48″ of the fresh & fluffy white stuff. A few days ago weather forecasts were only predicting several inches a day… man were they wrong.

The bottom line is this… it doesn’t make a difference where you ski or ride today… it’s EPIC pretty much everywhere.

Kirkwood by far has the deepest snow on this registering 36″ – 48″ with a storm total to date of 54 – 58 inches… NICE!

Storm totals elsewhere are registering in the 30 – 40 inch range.. nothing to complain about that’s for certain.

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The following Mountain Resorts are boast 14″ or more…

Sugar Bowl: 12″-14″
Boreal Ridge: 14″ – 20″
Mammoth Mountain: 20″
Sierra-at-Tahoe: 14″
Kirkwood: 14″-18″

Travel safe: Slow down on slippery roads, carry chains and while on the mountain.. early season harzards exist so beware of hidden obstacles like rocks & logs.

** Photo courtesy of Kirkwood.com

So far this storm has proved to pack more punch than anticipated and it isn’t over yet. It is officially ski and snowboard season in California is all major resorts are now open and each has a fresh layer of champaign powder. Today’s forecast for most resorts is chilly… with highs in the mid 20’s and more snow.

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So far the first leg of this storm has dropped nearly a foot in some places and up to 4 inches in others. Don’t despair this next storm set due to hit later today is expected to pack a little more punch.

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