Thread by @WasatchSnow

🧵 As much as I've talked about our impressive snowpack in Utah (and it is VERY impressive), the numbers in the Southern Sierra are truly mind-boggling! #cawx #nvwx #cawater

Just look at these basins via NRCS! The southeast Sierra Nevada, flowing into Mono Lake and Owens Valley is at an 8-station average of 452% of median! For this deep into the season, that's crazy!

One site, Big Pine Creek, is at 738% of median and already well over double the median peak that typically occurs in late March.

Why? This side of the Sierra is often shadowed and much drier than the west side. But these ARs have had good angles for spillover, and just so much forcing that they have easily traversed the Sierra Crest and dropped copious precip on the east side.

While all of California is well-above normal, this area is particularly anomalously ahead of schedule. Many areas already receiving close to their average calendar year precip average in the first two weeks of the year.

https://twitter.com/Climatologist49/status/1614662150932561922?s=20&t=i2ASPcq5xnTo69H1S_-IvA

Bishop, CA, received more than its average calendar year precip in the first 10 days of the year!

https://twitter.com/Climatologist49/status/1613368907854934016?s=20&t=i2ASPcq5xnTo69H1S_-IvA

I grew up on the east side of the Sierra, so I know first hand how important water is in this region. Long-term drought, coupled with diversion of water to Southern California has led to record low lake levels in places like Mono Lake.

Mono Lake is a lower profile, but decades-long battle to save a lake -- similar to what we are seeing with the GSL. Watching our fight to save GSL is like a mirror of the battle I witnessed as a kid to save Mono Lake. I feel like I'm living deja vu.

What I do know for sure is driving HWY 395 is gorgeous anytime of year, but I can't imagine how cool it is right now. I also know that it will be very late in the summer before people can climb Mt Whitney this year. And Death Valley will have an amazing spring wildflower season.