An atmospheric river storm in late January dumped a whole lot of snow over California mountain resorts. This helped improve the state's snowpack conditions, but the situation is still pretty dismal.
January stayed dry for Southern California until the first in a series of three storms arrived on January 23rd. The last storm, an atmospheric river type storm, was a double-edged sword.
On one hand, residents who live in and around recent burn scars were fearful heavy rain would trigger debris flows. On the other hand, mountain resorts and all the people who love playing in the snow couldn't wait to see what would fall.
Mother Nature delivered.
SoCal mountain resorts received one to three feet of snow. Northern California mountain resorts received four to nine feet of snow.
This boosted the Sierra Nevada snowpack, but unfortunately, it's not enough to fully compensate for a dry start to winter.
Department of Water Resources Snow Survey chief Sean de Guzman says the water supply outlook has improved but the state is not out of the woods.
The Sierra snowpack typically supplies about 30% of California's water needs when spring comes and it begins to melt and run off into aqueducts and reservoirs.
De Guzman notes that February is normally one of the three wettest months and could help make up the deficit. But the precipitation outlook heading into spring isn't looking good.
The recent rain and snow amounts may not be enough to get much of the state out of a drought, but it's more than enough for snow lovers to have some fun on the slopes.
Some mountain resorts are sold out so check their websites before you make the drive and plan ahead, especially if it's your first ski trip.
Here's a look at some incredible images during and after the storm.
