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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2015 - 12:27am PT
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Yosemite’s Badger Pass Ski Area - Open This Saturday
I get the delewarenorth newsletter, I guess because Jennie and I stayed at Yosemite Lodge in 2008 and I have not bothered to unsubscribe, I just usually delete any hotel offers, etc.
But Badger has snow???
Is it really snowing in California? What about the snowpack, or is this just a freak of nature? Will it help the H20 situation?
Answers on a postcard please, no prizes are awarded.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Dec 13, 2015 - 10:16pm PT
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Well, another storm predicted to dump.....and bust.
We are currently BELOW the average for this time of year, and are tracking to be just an average year:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/precipapp/get5SIPrecipStaticIndex.action
the argument always erupts "it's too early to tell, there's a lot of time left"
---which is true, HOWEVER,
Big snow years follow their own pattern, which is that they are a a big year THROUGHOUT the winter, including Sept and Oct, Nov, and Dec. We are now almost through those 4 months, and the big snow pattern has not emerged--yet.
The odds are rapidly decreasing every day.
I think we are going to have an average snow year, which means the drought continues, because we will not have made up any ground (actually, water)
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Dec 14, 2015 - 10:19am PT
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I thought they fixed the drought at Cop 21.
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Bob Harrington
climber
Bishop, California
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Dec 14, 2015 - 11:57am PT
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Agreed Ken. Here's a map showing the current snow water equivalent in both percent of April 1 and percent of normal to date. The Sierra is around 80-85% of normal to date.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action
Note that this is different data than what you presented - this is snow accumulated on the ground at snow pillow sites; the plot you showed was cumulative precipitation in selected precip gages. Either one is a reasonable gage of how the winter is progressing.
So far, this big El Nino hasn't been a big precip producer for California. Some news sources are saying 'not to worry, El Nino precip doesn't kick in until later in the winter' (e.g. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-85018530/ ). To some extent I agree - winter generally doesn't kick in until later in the winter, but that isn't a pattern unique to El Nino. Looking at some local data for Bishop Creek, the watershed I live in, for the two big precip El Ninos, the snow pillow at South Lake shows that the 1998 snow accumulation was about normal up to February and then it took off, but the 1983 snow accumulation was way over normal right from the get go. So make what you want of that sample size of two. The LA Times and JPL are willing to run with it, so who am I to doubt it?
Here's a plot of runoff (percent of normal for April through March) in the Owens River watershed versus the El Nino status of the preceding winter. Owens Valley runoff is dominated by melt of the prior winter's snowpack. The plot shows that while there is an association of higher runoff with strong El Ninos, dry winters can occur in during strong El Ninos and wet winters can occur in La Ninas.
A strong El Nino doesn't guarantee a big winter, but for forecasting winter precip three to six months out, its the best tool we have. At any rate, I'll be happy if we get an 85% of normal winter - that would be our best winter in four years.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Dec 14, 2015 - 12:28pm PT
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forgot this even happenswhat a difference a cow makes
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2015 - 08:52am PT
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JPL says fuggetaboutit as far as getting beaucoup neige outta this El Niño. Ain't gonna happen.
The wife saw a neighbor hosing leaves off the parking strip in front of her house.
I think she also has a Ben Carson campaign sticker on her car. OK, I made that up.
Carson is way too high-brow for her.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Dec 16, 2015 - 11:29am PT
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Considering the drought situation, I remain perplexed over how people have responded in the LA area. We have cut our water use by about 25%, which is good. This is mostly in the realm of outdoor watering.
However, I am astonished to see how much grass remains planted all over the place, particularly in those "parkway strips" between the street and the sidewalk.....they seem to waste at least half of the water applied, to runoff. The potential, if we got rid of that excessive lawn, would be remarkable.
We really have the chance to do something remarkable for our state regarding water.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Dec 16, 2015 - 11:52am PT
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Innovative solution with the Tree-T-Pee, although I thought it was going to be something different.
I'd be very interested in comparing outcomes, with a simple cone pile of compost applied to the base of the young tree.
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Portland Oregon
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Dec 16, 2015 - 11:52am PT
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Should counties and cities empty their jails of state prisoners to pay for the re-landscaping of public areas?
The inmates are plenty busy landscaping their own digs. Here's the prison Bernie Maddof landscapes.
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Portland Oregon
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Dec 16, 2015 - 12:09pm PT
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Nah, Butner NC.
But here's Vacaville:
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Dec 16, 2015 - 12:10pm PT
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...I am astonished to see how much grass remains planted all over the place, particularly in those "parkway strips" between the street and the sidewalk.....they seem to waste at least half of the water applied, to runoff. The potential, if we got rid of that excessive lawn, would be remarkable.
But green is pretty.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Dec 18, 2015 - 11:38pm PT
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Dec 19, 2015 - 08:37am PT
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Wow, Lorenzo, that's a prison?! I wanna live there!
BAd
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
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Dec 19, 2015 - 11:20am PT
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Reilly...Your neighbor was hosing leaves off the sidewalk..? How long have you've been neighborhood watch commander...?
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Dec 20, 2015 - 02:25am PT
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