Snowpack jumps to near average, but fire danger remains
The Sierra Nevada mountains above Bakersfield saw a healthy dusting of snow last week as an atmospheric river brought cold temperatures and significant precipitation.
"About the middle of February we were down at 54% and not sure what future weather would bring," said Andy Reising, a snow survey manager with the California Department of Water Resources.
As of Monday, the statewide average snowpack was 90% of average based on a 30-year median between 1991-2020. The Southern Sierra Region, which includes parts of Kern County, was at 90% of average; Central Sierras, 86%, and Northern Sierra, 107%.
"That's an increase of at least over 30, almost 35%," Reising said. "In the last five weeks, those storms that have come since the middle of February have actually targeted the south quite a bit."
Statewide reservoirs were as high as 115%, Reising said, and DWR typically issues two reports on April 1 that are used by water managers in decision making.
"The precipitation we've gotten has had a positive impact on (water supply) and will impact those decisions that the water managers need to make," Reising said. "We still have a few weeks left before April 1 but anything that happens after April 1 is very useful."
The recent storms have turned many of the hills around Bakersfield a lush green but the rains are not likely to have a long-term impact on the area's fire danger.
"Everyone wants us to say what's going to happen with the fire year. The best thing we can do is look at what have we been experiencing year over year," said Capt. Andrew Freeborn, spokesman for Kern County Fire Department. "Large, destructive fires."
"We've seen nothing that's indicating we won't see that again this year," he said.
Kern County can see rain during spring and winter months, but it's often followed by extended periods of high heat with no measurable precipitation. What rain does fall is enough to spur a lot of grass to grow, but not necessarily to restore moisture to trees and shrubs.
Grass fires are easy to put out, Freeborn said, but trees and brush are more difficult, and burn with greater intensity.
Warmer temperatures early in the year lead to faster snowmelt, Reising said, giving plants and soil more time to dry out.
"We make the same proclamation every month, all year long," Freeborn said. "Prepare yourself, prepare your property and stay aware of your surroundings."
ReadyKern is the county's emergency notification system that residents can sign up for online, and KCFD and CalFire both have online resources about ways to protect homes from wildfire.
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