California drought - effect in Yosemite and the Sierras

[Jim Graves]

Here's a link to a set of five pictures of Half Dome (elev. 8,844') -- March 19 of each year from 2011 to 2015: LINK (http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article15386540.html)

[tgtaylor]

Looking at the other side of the coin, it's a good year to get an early start on the PCT. Here's a post from hikers that are at Kennedy Meadows in mid-March: http://thetravelingmandolin.blogspot.com/2015/03/pct-2014-day-37.html

Thomas

[Robert Langham]

Virginia Adams remarked that they had more snow storms by far when she was younger. California and the West in some really difficult conditions with no end in sight. Will have huge effects on the nation. Something like this moved the Anasazi to the rivers. Los Vegas may not be habitable by the number of people there now in just a few years as they are losing the last of Lake Mead. Very serious situation.

[David Karp]

I was in Yosemite this week. Temperatures in the 70s every day. It drizzled enough in the Valley to make the roads near Curry Village look wet one day. Made for good photo weather, but pretty scary for us and our environment. Staff people told us that there was basically no snow in the Valley all winter, and only a few real rains.

[blueribbontea]

And the drought may be spreading into the Pacific Northwest. Snow pack next to nothing here.

[Heroique]

And the drought may be spreading into the Pacific Northwest. Snow pack next to nothing here.

"Next to nothing" is no exaggeration.

Indeed, the drought has officially arrived in Washington state, if the Governor's March 13th declaration means anything:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/drought/

What's unique is that Washington actually defines "drought" as meeting two conditions:


An area has to be experiencing or projected to experience a water supply that is below 75 percent of normal, and
Water users within those areas will likely incur undue hardships as a result of the shortage.


No matter the definition, Washington, Oregon, and California share in the small-snowpack suffering.

[Drew Wiley]

I'm more worried about the inevitable forest fires. There will still be plenty of drinking water in the higher Sierra if one plans an intelligent trip. Fortunately, last
year I opted for Wyoming instead, right when quite a bit of the Sierra was enveloped in smoke. I don't know where "Plan B" will be this summer, but there will be an option or two or three, just in case.

[Vaughn]

If the Spring rains stay away there will less grass to burn...

[Drew Wiley]

Vaughn ... talk about drought wacko happenings... This week a black bear wandered into Tracy! For those of you who don't know where that is, it's a burb on the
west side of the Central Valley, out in hot flat farm country... a long long ways from ordinary bear habitat.