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US state of California hopes for drought recovery after snow cover
A series of storms have brought the most impressive snowpack in years to the mountainous regions of California.
© Those: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chroni
Sacramento. A series of storms have brought the most impressive snowpack in years to the mountainous regions of California. The snow cover this year is 174 percent of the historical average, officials said on Tuesday. This is one of the best starts to the season in 40 years and could bring relief to the drought-stricken state when the spring snow melts and water flows into reservoirs that provide drinking water and water for agricultural use. It is the third best reading in the past four decades.
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Devastating snowfalls in the USA claim 60 lives
Weather-related accidents have killed 60 people across the United States, half of them in the Erie County area alone.
© What: Reuters
Meteorologists expected more snowfall for the week and over the weekend. Despite the “amazing snow cover,” which is in itself an opportunity to breathe easy, the drought situation is far from over, warned Karla Nemeth, director of the California Water Resources Agency.
Prolonged drought for three years
Because a good start does not guarantee a good ending: Last year, for example, the snow cover was 160 percent of the average when the first measurement was taken. This was followed by the driest three months on record in California. By early April, when snowpack normally peaks in the Sierra Nevada, snow was down to just 38 percent of the historical average.
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The past three years in California have been the driest on record, which dates back to 1896. About a third of California’s water supply comes from snowmelt in the mountains to the north. About three-fourths of California’s rain and snow comes from the watersheds north of Sacramento. At around 80 percent, however, the greatest demand is in southern California, where most people also live.
RND/AP