California, Dec 29 (Agency) California’s Sierra Nevada is in the grip of heavy snow – breaking decades-old record. According to a CNN report, as of Tuesday, more than 202 inches of snow — nearly 17 feet (5.2 meters) — had occurred so far this month at the University of California, Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory. Scientists at the lab said this month is now the snowiest December on record for the location and the third snowiest month overall. Andrew Schwartz, the station manager and lead scientist at the Berkeley snow lab, said the month’s earlier storms were driven by a high-pressure system sitting off the coast of California.
The result is that snowfall at the lab since October 1 — the start of California’s water year — is at 258 per cent of average, he said. Almost all of it came in December. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada accounts for 30 per cent of California’s fresh water supply in an average year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Noteworthy, this summer’s drought was the most extreme in California’s 126-year record, and July 2021 was the driest month since data gathering began in 1895, reports CNN.