Precipitation total continues to lag below normal
There hasn’t been enough moisture this year so far to keep up with what’s normal.
The Southern Sierra 6-station index which covers the Tulare Basin, stood at 78 percent of normal as of Tuesday as far as the precipitation level. The Tulare Basin covers the San Joaquin Valley.
Here in Porterville rainfall continues to lag behind normal. So far this year Porterville has received 2.96 inches of rain as measured at the Porterville Airport. The normal for this time of year is 4.75 inches.
Even with last week’s heavy storm, the Lake Tahoe area is also still below its normal precipitation level. The Central Sierra 5-station index, which measures precipitation for the Lake Tahoe area, measured an average 75 percent of normal as of Tuesday. The average snow water equivalent for Lake Tahoe is 1 foot, 2 inches while the precipitation level as of Tuesday is 40 percent of the normal level for April 1.
The Southern Sierra index is at 38 percent of normal for April 1 and has measure a snow water equivalent of 9.7 inches.
The Northern Sierra 8-station index, which covers Northern California, was at 80 percent of normal as of Tuesday and 43 percent of the April 1 normal with an average snow water equivalent of 1 foot, 6 inches.
Last week, San Francisco
was pounded with heavy rain and the Santa Cruz Mountains were blanketed with snow.
In the Lake Tahoe area, the Tahoe Donner Ski Resort received 26 inches of snow and Squaw Valley received 25 inches. An avalanche at the Alpine Meadows left one person dead and another injured.
The Northern Sierra 8-station index measures water in areas that are crucial for water customers throughout the state, especially in Southern California Southern California.
As far as other cities’ rainfall totals, Crescent City has re
ceived 83 percent of its normal rainfall, an improvement of 10 percent over December 30; San Francisco is at 75 percent, slightly above 73 percent as of December 30. But Sacramento’s average rainfall has declined to 70 percent from 79 percent as of December 30.
Cities such as Salinas and Paso Robles near the Central Coast have actually fared better, receiving 106 percent and 122 percent of normal rainfall, respectively. But Fresno is at 69 percent, down from 80 percent as of December 30.
And much of Southern California rainfall is above normal. San Diego is at 159 percent and Los Angeles is at 117 percent. Santa Barbara, on the Southern Coast, though, is at 76 percent of normal,down from 103 percent at the end of last year. Riverside is at 87 percent, down from 118 percent at the end of the year.
But the entire state’s precipitation level remains below normal at 79 percent as of Tuesday and at 41 percent of the April 1 average. The statewide average snow water equivalent is at 11.6 inches.