Extreme Weather California

A major spring snowstorm briefly closed a key Northern California interstate and extended the ski season at Mammoth Mountain. More than 3.5 feet of snow fell in the eastern Sierra Nevada over the weekend. Another inch or two of snow was possible on Monday. The snowstorm came just weeks after a March heat wave melted much of California’s snow, forcing many ski resorts to close. The Sierra snowpack on April in the mountains near Lake Tahoe stood at just 18% of average. That was the second-lowest April 1 mark on record. The snowpack provides one-third of California's water.