Sierra Nevada snowpack at a 500-year low
By Cheryl Katz, National Geographic
From frustrated snowboarders to migrating birds arriving at shriveled wetlands to wildfires raging through national parks, the Sierra Nevada’s lack of snow has transformed just about every aspect of life in California. Farmers, fish, forests, gardeners, hikers, boaters, and more depend on Sierra snow for water.
But now it’s clear that the “snow fail” in the 400-mile long mountain range has reached epic proportions: This year’s snowpack is the driest it’s been in at least 500 years, according to new research published Monday.
This stark finding comes from an analysis of more than 1,500 California blue oak tree rings dating back to the early 1500s, when Spanish explorers were just beginning their conquest of the state.
Thank you Heavenly Mountain for keeping us on snow this past winter. Your expert snowmaking team provided miles of great skiing — during the worst winter in 500 years. And the snow actually felt like natural snow, not sticky like at so many other ski resorts. Well done!
Just who was measuring the snow 500 years ago ?
The Trees were measuring water, it’s basic science.
Basic BS
Like it or not Mr. DeWitt, it is basic science.
The tree ring connection to water availability has been recognized for many decades.
David…Jesus was. There now, feel any better?
Gorsh David DimWitt, it is the same people that measure stuff like: the Speed of Light, CO2 levels from Antarctic ice, Gravity and make stuff like Nuclear Weapons and Rockets to Mars… you know… stuff you can’t or won’t understand.