Spring has arrived with our snow season nearing its end. A few storms moved through the region in March, but nothing significant enough to give us a miracle March. Hydrologist Jeff Anderson will be taking measurements of our snowpack on Monday April 4th to give us the official report, but as of now, our snowpack is not looking good. Much of western Nevada is currently in a severe drought, which is a slight improvement compared to November of 2021. October and December brought above normal precipitation, but the bulk of the snow season failed to deliver. The majority of our water supply comes from the mountains, so hopefully next year will be better. The Truckee Basin is sitting at 60 percent of normal and the Tahoe Basin is slightly worse at 54 percent of normal. Snow is still possible in April, but climatologically speaking, the odds of getting anything substantial this time of year are much lower.
The water year goes from October 1st through September 31st, and because of a wet October and December, Reno is seeing a surplus so far. This information alone can be misleading because our water supply is highly dependent on the amount of snow that falls in the Sierra during the winter season. A huge snow storm in January is more beneficial than a big rain storm in October. While a big April snow storm would be ideal, a good rain storm would at least green up our yards. Unfortunately, there has not been a lot of moisture to work with lately, which is what we need to get a good amount of snow or rain. A huge area of high pressure keeps blocking any atmospheric rivers from coming in here. The Pacific Northwest has been getting more rain and snow than us, but not consistently.
Right on cue with spring, it’s warming up in Northern Nevada. Highs reached 80 degrees for the first time this year last week, breaking four daily records in Reno. March 5th was the coldest day of the month with highs only in the 30’s. The mountains picked up some light snow earlier this week, but the valley mainly saw light rain and clouds. A couple light rain showers are possible in the Sierra this weekend, but overall the forecast looks dry with variable amounts of cloud cover. Highs on Friday will be in the upper 60’s and low 70’s with lots of sunshine. Sunday will be breezy with more cloud cover and highs in the mid to upper 60’s. Have a great day!
