California's Snow Drought Revealed in Striking Before-and-After Images
California is experiencing its second-worst snow drought in five decades, as highlighted by new images comparing snow levels from last year to this year. The Sierra snowpack, which peaked on February 25, was only 73% of the average and has since rapidly decreased. March brought summerlike heat, breaking monthly records across the Western United States. Despite a spring storm that added up to 3.5 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada, snow levels remain critically low. The Northern Sierra is particularly affected, with snow levels at just 10% of normal as of April 16, compared to 27% in the Central and Southern Sierra. Statewide, snow levels are at 20% of normal, a stark contrast to last year's figures. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is crucial as it provides about a third of California's water supply, with its runoff refilling reservoirs during spring and summer. 
