It’s the wettest time of the year, but much of Nevada remains dry
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Alarms didn’t sound when the snowflakes stopped falling in early January.
The snowpack was above average midway through the climatologically wettest part of the year, and there were still several months for the state to build up its snowpack.
But January storms were slow to materialize — other than last weekend’s storm that dropped disproportionate amounts of rain and snow across the state, the month was largely dry. Now, two-thirds of the way through its snowy season, the state’s valleys remain largely snow-free and snowpack is sporadic across Nevada’s mountains.
In early January, measuring sites across the state averaged a snowpack of 124 percent of median. But that percentage drops a point or two each day without snow, according to Jeff Anderson, water supply specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and, by Jan. 23 the statewide snowpack was down to 82 percent of median.
Some basins are still looking good (the upper and lower Humboldt basins are at median), but others aren’t faring as well. Following the weekend’s storm, Mount Rose reported a foot of new snow, but the Tahoe Basin is still just at 65 percent of median.
In the Sierra Nevada region, the primary water source for communities east and west of the range, “we’re at least two big storms behind where we need to be,” Anderson said. “We really haven’t had a decent storm yet this winter.
“When we’re talking inches instead of feet in the Sierra, then it’s not a real storm … Those are the kinds of storms that build our snowpack.”
It’s even drier at lower elevations and in Southern Nevada. As of Jan. 1, there was no snow recorded across the valleys and snow and precipitation measuring sites in Southern Nevada. The weekend’s storm dropped some snow in the Spring Mountains, but Las Vegas has gone more than six months without a drop of rain. The city hadn’t received any precipitation since July 13, when less than a tenth of an inch (0.08 inches) was recorded.
As of Jan. 27, the city has gone 198 days without precipitation, the city’s second-longest dry spell on record. In 2020, the city went 240 days without rain.
The Colorado River Basin — the primary source of water for Las Vegas — is having a decent year thus far. Since the beginning of the year, it’s sat at about 90 percent of median. Not bad, but not the drought-busting year that could raise water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
During a Jan. 23 call, Anderson put it into perspective.
At least 8 inches of snow fell this month in New Orleans, a city that last reported measurable snow in 2009. Mount Rose, a high-elevation snow measuring site on the crest between Reno and Lake Tahoe, received a similar amount of snow through the first three weeks of January.
But there’s still hope, he said. In the Sierra, all it takes is one big storm to put the region back on track to have a solid water year — in 1991, a series of March storms boosted the Tahoe Basin’s snowpack from 21 percent to 71 percent; in 2020, early April snow boosted the snowpack from 46 percent to 72 percent.
There’s still time, Anderson said — but the clock’s ticking.
In the weeds
Reservations required: Expanding off last year’s trial period, Nevada State Parks will now require day-use reservations for those looking to enter Lake Tahoe’s Sand Harbor State Park between 8-10:30 a.m. from April 15 to Oct. 15.
After 10:30 a.m., any unclaimed reservation spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The bulk of the reservations (200) will be available 90 days in advance; another 100 will be available 30 days in advance and 50 will be available seven days in advance. Same-day reservations (if available) will be reservable until 10:29 a.m. daily.
Bad news for desert tortoises — Federal approval earlier this month of the Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project south of Pahrump could have grave effects on federally protected Mojave desert tortoises, according to the desert conservation group Basin and Range Watch. The desert tortoise was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and has experienced sharp population declines during the last two decades. Since 2009, utility-scale solar energy applications have been accepted on thousands of acres of tortoise habitat and more than 80,000 acres have been developed.
There are an estimated 114 adult desert tortoises on the 2,400-acre Rough Hat site and an even greater number of juveniles. Federal requirements only mandate that developers relocate adult tortoises from the construction site.
Rough Hat is one of five new large-scale solar and transmission line projects slated for the Pahrump area. It will produce 400 megawatts of power.
Healthier trees — The City of North Las Vegas is undertaking an urban forestry project to count the city’s trees and analyze their health to determine maintenance and tree-planting needs. It’s being funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
Homewood remains public — Homewood Mountain Resort on Lake Tahoe’s west shore will remain public, and reinvestment from the privately operated resort’s owners will fund much-needed upgrades after a vote by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s governing board.
The ski resort has operated in the red for years (it failed to open this season due to financial constraints). Several years ago, its owners proposed converting the resort to a private business model offering a limited number of lifetime ski memberships; those memberships, along with annual dues, would go toward upgrading the aging resort.
This month, the agency approved allowing reinvestment in the historic resort, including construction of a new gondola and investments in lodging and commercial uses.
Science storytelling — Desert Research Institute is launching a statewide storytelling series focusing on environmental research, personal narratives and climate solutions. The institute’s Curiosity Lab will feature scientists and others addressing “some of the world’s most urgent concerns while also telling the tale of what it means to live in Nevada on the front lines of a changing climate,” according to the institute.
The first event will be held Feb. 26 in Reno and focus on “Chasing snow — stories of wonder, tradition, and the science of winter.” On March 12, discover “Roots of wonder: Following curiosity into the natural world” in Las Vegas.
Here’s what else I’m reading (and listening to) this week:
A look at the role of private firefighters and who has access to water by The Guardian.
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) has co-sponsored a bill that would require Congressional approval for all future national monuments in Nevada. The Nevada Current has details.
Not everyone is happy about a $1 billion federal loan to boost lithium production in Nevada. KUNR reports.
Bird flu detected in Churchill County dairy cows, from the Nevada Appeal.
Outside looks at what former President Joe Biden accomplished in the environmental realm — and his missed opportunities.
A closer look:
The National Weather Service is always looking for citizen scientists to help track data, including snowfall.