Recent storms add little moisture

The recent snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada did little to improve the water situation in western Nevada.

Jeff Anderson, a hydrologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services in Reno, told the Nevada News Group that without a good winter storm to wallop the area, the percentage of the median snowpack continues to dwindle in the Sierra Nevada.

“The storms we had last week provided some snow,” he said, adding the latest snowfall tended to be more powder than water.

The National Weather Service also confirmed the latest snowfalls provided very little water content. Until the two latest storms, Anderson said the past six weeks were rather dry. Both Anderson and the NWS said the first part of March may have some storms developing over the Great Basin.

“Reading the forecasts, the signals could be a storm window opening up in the second week of March,” he said.

Normally, March and April are two big months for precipitation both in the mountains and in the valleys. Currently, though, Anderson said the Carson Basin is 85% of normal, while the Tahoe Basin is at 84% and the Walker at 83%. The Truckee Basin, however, is at 91%.
Anderson said the atmospheric river that inundated the area with heavy rain in October also helped. The Lahontan Reservoir is near the same level as it was last year, 103,159 acre-feet to 104,403 acre-feet.

“Considering the hot summer and where the reservoir was last season, that’s a positive sign,” he said. “If we didn’t get that October rain, it wouldn’t have allowed them (Truckee-Carson Irrigation District) to store as much water.”

Anderson said the precipitation totals since Oct. 1 are 110% above median.

Another positive sign includes the heavy snow that fell in late December. With the ground saturated with moisture, Anderson said the yearly flows will be close to the observed flows. He said most of the snow this year has fallen during colder weather.

Rusty Jardine, general manager and legal counsel for TCID, said the local concern focuses on future storms.

“We need information and discussion from the NRCS, forecasts and SNOTEL trends,” Jardine said.

Recently, Jardine sat in on a Zoom meeting with the weather service to gain more information on the forecasting trends for this time of year. Because more information is needed, Jardine said a special meeting with the TCID Board of Directors may be needed in March to determine water allocations for the growing season.