images from California rain storms

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

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[SunSeeker]

1. The local ski resorts have tons of snow, but you'd be nuts to try to go right now.

The snow is very good news for our snowpack, which determines how much water flows into our lakes and rivers in the spring.

[Auggie]

3. Apparently it's heavy, wet snow, not ideal for skiing ...

I feel for the ski industry. It's so dependent on weather. Maybe higher elevations get the powder. I don't know.

But it' is all about the snowpack. And it is indeed very good news.

[inthewind21]

15. Nope

It's nice powder. Problem is, the wind it too high to run the lifts.

[Old Crank]

2. Pray for a slow arrival of spring

If it heats up too fast there will be much faster run off and more flooding. If it stays cool more water goes into the ground.

[2naSalit]

12. Exactly!

Over here, in the northern Rockies, we had a really nice early start to our snowpack but right after that subzero weather it got really warm. We have only had a couple days at or below freezing (+32F), even in the 40s at night!

Consequently, we are now at about 30% of what we had right after the freeze. I'm hoping we get more snow, at least in the higher elevations, before spring.

[panader0]

4. Unbelieveable images! Those poor people.

Some of that snow pack will help to raise the levels of the reservoirs, and hopefully Lake Mead,
but at what a terrible cost.

[intrepidity]

5. Thanks for those. A few more.

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Hahah, love this one, "pencilled in"

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[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

16. Thanks

[inthewind21]

18. Meanwhile in the Sierra and Northern Nevada

https://www.google.com/search?q=sierra%20snow%20storms%20pics%202023&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CTsaTlumgZJSYWGANX7PvSNu8AEBsgIIEAA6BAgBEAA&rlz=1C1AZAA_enUS749US749&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBoQuIIBahcKEwi465r75L38

[Renew Deal]

6. The fourth one with the cat is not from CA. It's from the summers hurricane in Florida.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

14. thanks.

[Emile]

7. So has all this rain and snow ended the drought?

[Johnny2X2X]

9. No, and it won't

The drought is so severe it will take several above average rainy seasons to be ended. And this type of mass rain does very little as the ground gets saturated and a good deal of the water just runs off into the ocean rather than seeping down to become ground water. What California needs is steady slow rain for several weeks. It will help a little short term, but this is not the type of rain that they need to end the drought.

[Emile]

11. That sucks.

[stopdiggin]

10. that's a (qualified) no.

Most of the watersheds (dams) in the state are still well below capacity or 'healthy' levels. A heavy snowpack should continue to 'help' (some) (and with the caveat of also representing more potential 'damage'.) Overall - drought situation is probably best described as 'much improved', but still a ways from satisfactory.

[Delphinus]

8. Oh my ...

[Cha]

13. Thank you.

[FakeNoose]

17. The last one is very short and very scary "Flooding east of Fresno"

Also the 5th tweet shows the icy conditions high up in the mountains. Cars are at a standsill on steep icy roads, and then a few start sliding. It's the last 10 seconds or so of the video.