The snow and rain just keep on coming. After a dry January, a consistent weather pattern of snow and rain is forecast to continue into the final week of March. After that, it looks like we are going to catch a break, with sunshine returning and temperatures climbing back into normal territory for this time of year.
Spring snow on Peavine Mountain, Reno, Nevada.
Photo © Stan White
Water supplies for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use around northern Nevada are in the best shape we've seen in several years. By early summer, water storage is expected to be just about at capacity in all of the reservoirs and lakes that feed the Truckee River. Stampede Reservoir will fill for the first time since 2006. Lake Tahoe could fill to six feet above its natural rim, which is the amount of water that can be stored for summer use by the dam at Tahoe City. Here's where the total precipitation and snow/water equivalent for major northern Nevada drainages sits as of Friday, March 26, 2011. The numbers are a percent of average.
- Truckee River: total precip. - 127%, snow/water equivalent - 159%
- Lake Tahoe Basin: total precip. - 150%, snow/water equivalent - 178%
- Carson River: total precip. - 146%, snow/water equivalent - 151%
- Walker River: total precip. - 137%, snow/water equivalent - 153%
While it's nice to have a full glass, let's not forget that we live in a desert and water is always a top concern. Even in flush times, we need to practice water conservation and not waste this essential resource.
If you plan to travel by road anywhere outside the Truckee Meadows, be prepared for winter driving and check the highway conditions before departing.
Sources: National Water and Climate Center, Reno Gazette-Journal.
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