Weather in the Foothills

“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.”    

~ Gary Zukhav, spiritual teacher and author

Current drizzly and cool weather is expected to dissipate as mild Santa Ana winds come into the Crescenta Valley on Saturday night. Throughout much of our state, warmer temperatures are beginning to push folks off the deck and into the pool. To a lesser extent, at higher elevations others still hold tightly to the ski-lift bar as the season’s snow melts. It’s springtime in California!

The April 1 snow survey is typically the most important of the year as the snowpack is the deepest; water supply is based on its statistics. A contributing factor is the amount of water absorbed into soils before running off into our rivers and streams. Snowmelt is the source of about 75% of the water supply. Winter’s snow, not rain, is connected to how much water Californians will have for the rest of the year. Winter snowstorms bring more than pretty landscapes or good ski opportunities; they are crucial sources of water during the dry summers.

California Cooperative Snow Surveys, accompanied by the Dept. of Water Resources, travel to 130 sensor locations in the Sierra to measure snowpack. Key information is snow depth and weight. The weight of a snow sample determines how much water will be generated from the snow when it melts. The snow depth is combined with the snow weight to give the density of the snow, which is recorded to track changes in the snowpack throughout the season. Measurements at multiple sites assure a full picture of California’s snowpack and water availability.

Scientific measurement is vital to predicting water availability for California’s homes, farms and reservoirs. Two weeks ago, California water officials reported the statewide snowpack is just 59% of average for this time of year as the state continues to experience one of the driest years.

Interestingly, the same techniques used in 1929 are still used today – traveling by snowshoe and plunging long metal poles deep into the snow.

Offshore flow develops just in time for the weekend. With the marine layer out to sea we should have clear skies through the period. But the mid-April sunshine, lack of clouds and the offshore flow will bring five to 10 degrees of warming on Saturday. On Sunday, an added five to 10 degrees arrives bringing readings from 80 degrees to low 90s.

Time to shop for a new bathing suit!

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley
resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.