‘Abnormally dry’ conditions spike as California struggles with below-average snowpack
A Thursday update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the eastern slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada are drying — and the lack of snow accumulation could accelerate unfavorable conditions. The second manual snow survey of the water season — which began Oct. 1 — showed moderate improvement to the state’s snowpack but conditions remain “far below normal,” according to a news release from the California Department of Water Resources. A weekly map that illustrates drought intensities across the country shows the state’s “abnormally dry” status spiked more than 6% to nearly 9.5%. Before Tuesday, abnormally dry conditions in California remained in the 3% range since Dec. 5. California has not seen conditions this dry since Aug. 15, when 25.44% of the state was considered abnormally dry.
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