The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, at some 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, had 6.3 inches of snowfall Monday. It’s a welcome sign for Andrew Schwartz, the lab’s director. Not just because it’s building the snowpack early in the season, but also because it helps reduce fire risk. “It’s seeping into the soils,” Schwartz said of the snow. … Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the Department of Water Resources, told Courthouse News that the state is at 37% of average rainfall at this point. However, California gets about half of its annual precipitation between December and February. … Pivoting to the state’s reservoirs, Anderson said they likely won’t reach their low point for the year until next month…. The snowpack itself is like a reservoir in solid state. When it starts to melt during the spring, the water enters rivers and, eventually, state reservoirs.

Related weather, snow and fire risk articles:

• San Francisco Chronicle: Second round of rain, snow to hit Northern California. Here’s how much to expect
• Mercury News: Bay Area rain: Who got the most and least? Here are the totals
• Snow Brains: Atmospheric rivers – nature’s moisture conveyor belt
• USA Today: Atmospheric river to bring heavy snow, rain to Northwest this week
• Enterprise-Record (Chico, Calif.): More rain is coming, how is Butte County preparing for flood risk after Park Fire?
• San Francisco Chronicle: Yosemite snow forecast prompts winter storm watch