At Hidden Tahoe Lab, Scientists Learn the Art of Measuring Snow
California's Sierra Nevada Residents Prepare for Up to 3 Feet of Snow
Sierra Braces for Peak of Severe Storm, With Over 10 Feet of Snow Possible
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nyone riding the gondola lift at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort one bright day in January might have seen something unexpected in the glade below them: A series of figures energetically digging pits in the snow by hand — deep enough for them to then jump inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These pit diggers intently studied the walls of their newly carved chambers before pressing bright yellow sensors into the ice. They were, in fact, student scientists receiving training from the Central Sierra Snow Lab close by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while most visitors to the Sierra would never have a reason to come across this stocky, unassuming 1940s cabin nestled on a nearby backroad, the Snow Lab has been at the forefront of snow science for almost 80 years, maintaining the data that has huge implications for California’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-768x253.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Measuring implements to gauge the layers and depth of the Sierra snowpack (left) in use at the Snow Science School. Anne Nolin (right), professor of geography at the University of Nevada, Reno and a snow school attendee, marks the edge of where to dig a pit in the snowpack. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, this event, its first-ever Snow Science School, saw the Snow Lab open its doors to teach a new generation the tools of their trade — almost 7,000 feet above sea level in the mountains of Tahoe National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hidden history on Donner Summit\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though now managed by UC Berkeley, the Central Sierra Snow Lab in Soda Springs began life in 1946 as a collaboration between the Army Corps of Engineers and what’s now known as the National Weather Service. But while the Snow Lab’s own snowfall and snow depth measurements date back to its birth, this cabin beneath towering pine trees near Donner Summit also maintains much older records from the area going back to 1878 documenting the Central Pacific Railroad’s own efforts — making these the longest such climatological records in the world when it comes to snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the scientists working up here in 2025, the job is essentially “to play in the snow and learn more about it,” said Andrew Schwartz, its director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995851\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1020x632.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1536x951.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-2048x1268.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1920x1189.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Schwartz, director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, holds a decades-old printout of snow measurements (left) and a black-and-white photograph (right) in the lab’s archives. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the three days in January that saw 20 students from across the U.S. arrive at the Snow Science School, Tahoe was in the middle of a sunny, dry spell, with the snowpack at Donner Summit at 94% of the average for this time of year. But at an elevation of over 6,700 feet, the Snow Lab has seen its share of wild winters and momentous snowfall — making it an apt place to study snow science any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz, who took over the Snow Lab in 2021 and lived inside the building for his first two years, recalled how, in 2023, the snow was so deep that he and his colleagues could “walk directly into the third-floor windows.” That year, the Snow Lab received a total of 63 feet of snow, its second-biggest winter accumulation on record — precipitation that would eventually become the snowmelt that’s crucial for California’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995837\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Participants listen during a morning lecture at the Clair Tappan Lodge during the Snow Science School organized by UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Schwartz, his “number one” hope for the Snow Lab’s inaugural school is that the students leave “with an appreciation of snow and a better understanding of how it works, really — because it’s so important to the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Roughly two billion people [around the world] use water obtained from snowpack. And we tend to take it for granted,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school’s student body included a large handful of people from the California Department of Water Resources — one of the Snow Lab’s partners in this work — but also graduate students, researchers, snow modelers and teachers, as well as folks sent by the National Parks Service and the National Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Participants gather for a morning lecture during Snow Science School. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The breadth of experience and background among the Snow Science School’s students is a testimony to the wide range of applications this work can have — and to the disciplines that snow brings together. “It’s a very close-knit community,” said Preetika Kaur, a Snow Lab student attending from the University of Wyoming. “I love to meet people who are pros.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>All work and no play? Not at the Snow Lab\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After climbing up the steep hill to the Snow Lab on their first day, students were shown past the bright red snowcat — the exact same model that’s featured in the movie \u003cem>The Shining\u003c/em>, noted Schwartz approvingly — and into the warren-like building. Above their heads, the top floor holds sleeping quarters for the scientists who board overnight to conduct research or who’ve been trapped inside by an impenetrable Sierra storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-800x345.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1020x440.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-768x331.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1536x662.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-2048x883.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1920x828.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, based in Soda Springs near Donner Summit. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first floor and basement, where the lab’s scientists work throughout the day, was full not just of computer screens and boxes full of measuring tools but also handwritten logs, archive photography depicting their Snow Lab predecessors out on the job, vintage road signs and instruments saved from the building’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s even an oscilloscope — an instrument that once measured voltage — with a large “NASA AMES” sticker on it, and even though Schwartz admits they “have no clue” what the Snow Lab scientists of previous years used it for up here, “I’d be lying if I still don’t like to play with the knobs on it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995849\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Type 555 Dual-beam Oscilloscope, circa 1960s, at the Central Sierra Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1102\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-800x344.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1020x439.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-768x330.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1536x661.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-2048x881.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1920x826.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spatulas and rulers (right) are some of the tools used to measure snowfall at the Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside, the students tour Snow Lab’s network of remote snow equipment, like the fluid-filled “snow pillow” that detects the weight of the snow falling on it and the sensors submerged in the creek behind the lab that will gauge the height of the icy water as it starts to rise with spring snowmelt. Other remote sensors constantly assess solar radiation — in a region where sunlight can contribute to up to 95% of snowmelt — and soil temperature to get an idea of just how fast the snowpack could melt this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as this data collection hums in the background, Schwartz still maintains the lab’s twice-daily manual measurement tradition, which sees him and his colleagues crunch out onto the snow with “our very fancy ruler” — work that on some days, depending on conditions, can feel more like a polar expedition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995840\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gaby May Lagunes, a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department at UC Berkeley, puts on her snowshoes to head into the field. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/UCB_CSSL\">the Snow Lab’s social media presence\u003c/a> has gained in popularity in the last few years, the snow measurements that Schwartz and his team make public are also watched eagerly by a different group of California enthusiasts: skiers and snowboarders desperate to know when to hit the Tahoe slopes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love the different uses of our data in our information,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The impact of the snowpack on water supply\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The snowpack can contain clues of the past as well as the future — which is why the snow analysis techniques being taught at the Snow Science School go way beyond just assessing depth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A key concept hydrology students are taught about is “snow water equivalent,” or SWE (usually pronounced “swee” by snow scientists): A measurement that tells scientists just how much water is contained in an area of snow versus the air it also contains alongside its ice crystals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Schwartz, right, director of the Central Sierra Snow Lab, leads instructors and participants of the Snow Science School into the field. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the water in California originally falls as snow, and it’s really valuable to humans because there’s a lot of it and because it stores itself for free in places where it’s cold and then melts in the spring, which is when we need it for agriculture,” said Marianne Cowherd, research associate at the Snow Lab and one of the instructors. “Having a good understanding of how much water we have available upstream lets us do things like manage our reservoir levels — so we still have enough water, but we don’t have dangerous operations or overflow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next piece of the snow science puzzle is working out when and how the state can expect that snow to melt. At the school, the students learn more about how energy from the sun and from the warm temperatures of the air and from the ground melts the snowpack and how the water flows into California’s soils and streams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that I’m trying to do is understand the effect of human changes in the landscape, specifically with irrigation on future precipitation patterns and precipitation extremes,” said Gaby May Lagunes, a snow lab student and UC Berkeley graduate researcher. “How the way people change the environment has an impact on the water cycle, not only locally, regionally and globally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So “if I want to understand water from a data-driven perspective, I need to have an idea of what snow people know,” she said. “We need to work together a lot because we cannot know everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995845\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preetika Kaur, left, a Ph.D. student at the University of Wyoming, and Joe Ammatelli, an assistant research scientist with the Desert Research Institute, dig a pit in the snowpack during Snow Science School. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Up close in the snow pits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For students, the real action came when the school decamped closer to Donner Summit for the field measurement portion of their studies. After suiting up in thermal layers, bibs and beanies — plus lab-supplied polarized sunglasses that read “No Biz Like Snow Biz” on the side — the students strap on snowshoes to make the hike along a snow-covered trail to a secluded woods, sandwiched between Sugar Bowl and Donner Ski Ranch. Here, they began to dig out a series of 4-foot-deep snow pits using shovels, low enough to strike soil and complete with steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The snowpack can be far larger, sometimes as deep as 20 feet, and scientists “have to build literal levels down to measure the whole thing,” Schwartz said — “so you don’t have to Spider-Man your way out every time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joe Ammatelli was sent by the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, where he carries out snow modeling, which needs to be validated by field observations. “It’s really valuable as a modeler to get out here and see how it’s done,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995846\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995846\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-768x253.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow crystals lay on a measuring device during a field outing with the Snow Science School in January. Chris Northart, right, with the Department of Water Resources Statewide Monitoring Network Unit and a participant of the Snow Science School, uses a magnification lens to measure the size of snow granules. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A participant of the Snow School weighs a wedge of snow collected from the snowpack in a field outing. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And for all the technological developments in snow science, it remains deeply tactile for its practitioners. Down in the pits, the students measured the snow’s temperature and observed how it changed the deeper the pit went. Then, using specialized shovels, the students scooped out and leveled off snow before weighing it on a scale — a method of measuring density and snow water equivalent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They examined physical changes in the different layers in the smooth white walls of the snow pits, like studying rings in a tree trunk. These kinds of measurements are an exercise in time travel, explained instructor Cowherd, given the different qualities of snowflakes that fall at different times and how the ever-accumulating snowpack ages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the air heats and cools, the snow melts and compresses under its own weight — all of which “tells us about the history of what’s happened there,” Cowherd said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Every day in the snow is a good day’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The observations that the instructors taught its snow students in the pits are the kind that stretches back almost a century and a half in the Snow Lab’s own archives — and this volume of information is invaluable for assessing the impact of climate change, Schwartz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see the same amount of precipitation coming in, but it’s shifting from snow terrain in all the months — so we’re seeing warming,” he said. “Our rain-snow line is going up in elevation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The almost 150 years of data can also aid forecasters in looking for variables that smaller data sets just can’t encompass, he said — like the Sierra’s dry spells that are followed by big years for rain and snowfall, a swing that’s seen in “five year periods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign to alert the public of a snow survey shelter structure from the Department of Water Resources is one of the objects in the archive at the Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The school’s emphasis on continuing the tradition of meticulous data collection is shot through with the deep enthusiasm that marks the people in its orbit. Even in the chill of the field, when digging out feet of snow, the students remain upbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Snow people are really fun people for the most part,” said instructor Micah Johnson, as he demonstrated an invention he’d been working on for a decade — showing the students how to stab his Bluetooth-enabled “penetrometer-reflectometer” stick into the snow and call up data from its sensors. “I have yet to meet an indifferent snow scientist of sorts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Ammatelli from the Desert Research Institute said, “Every day in the snow is a good day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Joe Ammatelli’s name.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>nyone riding the gondola lift at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort one bright day in January might have seen something unexpected in the glade below them: A series of figures energetically digging pits in the snow by hand — deep enough for them to then jump inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These pit diggers intently studied the walls of their newly carved chambers before pressing bright yellow sensors into the ice. They were, in fact, student scientists receiving training from the Central Sierra Snow Lab close by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while most visitors to the Sierra would never have a reason to come across this stocky, unassuming 1940s cabin nestled on a nearby backroad, the Snow Lab has been at the forefront of snow science for almost 80 years, maintaining the data that has huge implications for California’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-768x253.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01549_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Measuring implements to gauge the layers and depth of the Sierra snowpack (left) in use at the Snow Science School. Anne Nolin (right), professor of geography at the University of Nevada, Reno and a snow school attendee, marks the edge of where to dig a pit in the snowpack. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, this event, its first-ever Snow Science School, saw the Snow Lab open its doors to teach a new generation the tools of their trade — almost 7,000 feet above sea level in the mountains of Tahoe National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hidden history on Donner Summit\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though now managed by UC Berkeley, the Central Sierra Snow Lab in Soda Springs began life in 1946 as a collaboration between the Army Corps of Engineers and what’s now known as the National Weather Service. But while the Snow Lab’s own snowfall and snow depth measurements date back to its birth, this cabin beneath towering pine trees near Donner Summit also maintains much older records from the area going back to 1878 documenting the Central Pacific Railroad’s own efforts — making these the longest such climatological records in the world when it comes to snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the scientists working up here in 2025, the job is essentially “to play in the snow and learn more about it,” said Andrew Schwartz, its director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995851\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1020x632.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-768x476.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1536x951.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-2048x1268.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04876_duo-1920x1189.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Schwartz, director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, holds a decades-old printout of snow measurements (left) and a black-and-white photograph (right) in the lab’s archives. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the three days in January that saw 20 students from across the U.S. arrive at the Snow Science School, Tahoe was in the middle of a sunny, dry spell, with the snowpack at Donner Summit at 94% of the average for this time of year. But at an elevation of over 6,700 feet, the Snow Lab has seen its share of wild winters and momentous snowfall — making it an apt place to study snow science any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz, who took over the Snow Lab in 2021 and lived inside the building for his first two years, recalled how, in 2023, the snow was so deep that he and his colleagues could “walk directly into the third-floor windows.” That year, the Snow Lab received a total of 63 feet of snow, its second-biggest winter accumulation on record — precipitation that would eventually become the snowmelt that’s crucial for California’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995837\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00729-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Participants listen during a morning lecture at the Clair Tappan Lodge during the Snow Science School organized by UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Schwartz, his “number one” hope for the Snow Lab’s inaugural school is that the students leave “with an appreciation of snow and a better understanding of how it works, really — because it’s so important to the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Roughly two billion people [around the world] use water obtained from snowpack. And we tend to take it for granted,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school’s student body included a large handful of people from the California Department of Water Resources — one of the Snow Lab’s partners in this work — but also graduate students, researchers, snow modelers and teachers, as well as folks sent by the National Parks Service and the National Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00032-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Participants gather for a morning lecture during Snow Science School. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The breadth of experience and background among the Snow Science School’s students is a testimony to the wide range of applications this work can have — and to the disciplines that snow brings together. “It’s a very close-knit community,” said Preetika Kaur, a Snow Lab student attending from the University of Wyoming. “I love to meet people who are pros.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>All work and no play? Not at the Snow Lab\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After climbing up the steep hill to the Snow Lab on their first day, students were shown past the bright red snowcat — the exact same model that’s featured in the movie \u003cem>The Shining\u003c/em>, noted Schwartz approvingly — and into the warren-like building. Above their heads, the top floor holds sleeping quarters for the scientists who board overnight to conduct research or who’ve been trapped inside by an impenetrable Sierra storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-800x345.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1020x440.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-768x331.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1536x662.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-2048x883.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00955_duo-1920x828.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_00964-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, based in Soda Springs near Donner Summit. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first floor and basement, where the lab’s scientists work throughout the day, was full not just of computer screens and boxes full of measuring tools but also handwritten logs, archive photography depicting their Snow Lab predecessors out on the job, vintage road signs and instruments saved from the building’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s even an oscilloscope — an instrument that once measured voltage — with a large “NASA AMES” sticker on it, and even though Schwartz admits they “have no clue” what the Snow Lab scientists of previous years used it for up here, “I’d be lying if I still don’t like to play with the knobs on it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995849\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04870-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Type 555 Dual-beam Oscilloscope, circa 1960s, at the Central Sierra Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1102\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-800x344.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1020x439.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-768x330.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1536x661.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-2048x881.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04694_duo-1920x826.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spatulas and rulers (right) are some of the tools used to measure snowfall at the Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside, the students tour Snow Lab’s network of remote snow equipment, like the fluid-filled “snow pillow” that detects the weight of the snow falling on it and the sensors submerged in the creek behind the lab that will gauge the height of the icy water as it starts to rise with spring snowmelt. Other remote sensors constantly assess solar radiation — in a region where sunlight can contribute to up to 95% of snowmelt — and soil temperature to get an idea of just how fast the snowpack could melt this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as this data collection hums in the background, Schwartz still maintains the lab’s twice-daily manual measurement tradition, which sees him and his colleagues crunch out onto the snow with “our very fancy ruler” — work that on some days, depending on conditions, can feel more like a polar expedition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995840\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01055-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gaby May Lagunes, a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department at UC Berkeley, puts on her snowshoes to head into the field. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/UCB_CSSL\">the Snow Lab’s social media presence\u003c/a> has gained in popularity in the last few years, the snow measurements that Schwartz and his team make public are also watched eagerly by a different group of California enthusiasts: skiers and snowboarders desperate to know when to hit the Tahoe slopes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love the different uses of our data in our information,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The impact of the snowpack on water supply\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The snowpack can contain clues of the past as well as the future — which is why the snow analysis techniques being taught at the Snow Science School go way beyond just assessing depth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A key concept hydrology students are taught about is “snow water equivalent,” or SWE (usually pronounced “swee” by snow scientists): A measurement that tells scientists just how much water is contained in an area of snow versus the air it also contains alongside its ice crystals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_01224-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Schwartz, right, director of the Central Sierra Snow Lab, leads instructors and participants of the Snow Science School into the field. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the water in California originally falls as snow, and it’s really valuable to humans because there’s a lot of it and because it stores itself for free in places where it’s cold and then melts in the spring, which is when we need it for agriculture,” said Marianne Cowherd, research associate at the Snow Lab and one of the instructors. “Having a good understanding of how much water we have available upstream lets us do things like manage our reservoir levels — so we still have enough water, but we don’t have dangerous operations or overflow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next piece of the snow science puzzle is working out when and how the state can expect that snow to melt. At the school, the students learn more about how energy from the sun and from the warm temperatures of the air and from the ground melts the snowpack and how the water flows into California’s soils and streams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that I’m trying to do is understand the effect of human changes in the landscape, specifically with irrigation on future precipitation patterns and precipitation extremes,” said Gaby May Lagunes, a snow lab student and UC Berkeley graduate researcher. “How the way people change the environment has an impact on the water cycle, not only locally, regionally and globally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So “if I want to understand water from a data-driven perspective, I need to have an idea of what snow people know,” she said. “We need to work together a lot because we cannot know everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995845\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02033-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preetika Kaur, left, a Ph.D. student at the University of Wyoming, and Joe Ammatelli, an assistant research scientist with the Desert Research Institute, dig a pit in the snowpack during Snow Science School. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Up close in the snow pits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For students, the real action came when the school decamped closer to Donner Summit for the field measurement portion of their studies. After suiting up in thermal layers, bibs and beanies — plus lab-supplied polarized sunglasses that read “No Biz Like Snow Biz” on the side — the students strap on snowshoes to make the hike along a snow-covered trail to a secluded woods, sandwiched between Sugar Bowl and Donner Ski Ranch. Here, they began to dig out a series of 4-foot-deep snow pits using shovels, low enough to strike soil and complete with steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The snowpack can be far larger, sometimes as deep as 20 feet, and scientists “have to build literal levels down to measure the whole thing,” Schwartz said — “so you don’t have to Spider-Man your way out every time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joe Ammatelli was sent by the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, where he carries out snow modeling, which needs to be validated by field observations. “It’s really valuable as a modeler to get out here and see how it’s done,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995846\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995846\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-768x253.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_02943_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snow crystals lay on a measuring device during a field outing with the Snow Science School in January. Chris Northart, right, with the Department of Water Resources Statewide Monitoring Network Unit and a participant of the Snow Science School, uses a magnification lens to measure the size of snow granules. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_03173-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A participant of the Snow School weighs a wedge of snow collected from the snowpack in a field outing. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And for all the technological developments in snow science, it remains deeply tactile for its practitioners. Down in the pits, the students measured the snow’s temperature and observed how it changed the deeper the pit went. Then, using specialized shovels, the students scooped out and leveled off snow before weighing it on a scale — a method of measuring density and snow water equivalent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They examined physical changes in the different layers in the smooth white walls of the snow pits, like studying rings in a tree trunk. These kinds of measurements are an exercise in time travel, explained instructor Cowherd, given the different qualities of snowflakes that fall at different times and how the ever-accumulating snowpack ages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the air heats and cools, the snow melts and compresses under its own weight — all of which “tells us about the history of what’s happened there,” Cowherd said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Every day in the snow is a good day’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The observations that the instructors taught its snow students in the pits are the kind that stretches back almost a century and a half in the Snow Lab’s own archives — and this volume of information is invaluable for assessing the impact of climate change, Schwartz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We see the same amount of precipitation coming in, but it’s shifting from snow terrain in all the months — so we’re seeing warming,” he said. “Our rain-snow line is going up in elevation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The almost 150 years of data can also aid forecasters in looking for variables that smaller data sets just can’t encompass, he said — like the Sierra’s dry spells that are followed by big years for rain and snowfall, a swing that’s seen in “five year periods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1995850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1995850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/02/20250116_Snow-School_DMB_04872-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign to alert the public of a snow survey shelter structure from the Department of Water Resources is one of the objects in the archive at the Snow Lab. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The school’s emphasis on continuing the tradition of meticulous data collection is shot through with the deep enthusiasm that marks the people in its orbit. Even in the chill of the field, when digging out feet of snow, the students remain upbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Snow people are really fun people for the most part,” said instructor Micah Johnson, as he demonstrated an invention he’d been working on for a decade — showing the students how to stab his Bluetooth-enabled “penetrometer-reflectometer” stick into the snow and call up data from its sensors. “I have yet to meet an indifferent snow scientist of sorts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Ammatelli from the Desert Research Institute said, “Every day in the snow is a good day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Joe Ammatelli’s name.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California's Sierra Nevada Residents Prepare for Up to 3 Feet of Snow",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jenelle Potvin loves running through a snowstorm to photograph its beauty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of my footage made the NBC Nightly News,” she said of an early March storm that buried her home in multiple feet of snow, which her dogs loved. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jenelle Potvin, Truckee resident\"]‘It’s been sunny and really enjoyable, but we’re looking forward to a little storm.’[/pullquote]She’s already preparing her home in Truckee for about 1 foot of snow meteorologists forecast for her neighborhood this weekend. The looming storm could drop up to 3 feet of snow over the crest of the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a storm is on its way, Potvin does three things: She cancels her plans, checks in with any Airbnb guests who rent out an extra room in her house and cleans all the dog poop from her yard so it doesn’t freeze under the snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potvin is positively antsy for the storm to begin Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been sunny and really enjoyable, but we’re looking forward to a little storm,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/truckeerunner/status/1764409708675473861\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first spring storm comes nearly three weeks after a cold weather pattern dropped more than 12 feet of snow across the Sierra. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the Northern and Central Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Forecasters expect significant travel delays this weekend on major highways due to snow, icy roads and strong winds. But for outdoor adventurists, another storm is a chance to shred some powder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can cross-country ski or snowshoe right from our house if there’s enough snow,” Potvin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resorts like Palisades Tahoe, northwest of Lake Tahoe, are looking forward to more than 1 1/2 feet of snow this weekend, especially since the snow year started abysmal at best. In January, snow totals across the Sierra measured around 25% of the average, but now \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">are at 99% of the average for this time of year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/1770838903001321553\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had an 8-foot storm that really put us over the top,” said Patrick Lacey, PR manager for Palisades Tahoe, remembering the early March storm that temporarily shut ski resorts down across the mountain range\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result, he said, “the skiing is absolutely phenomenal. It’s been firing out there.”[aside postID=science_1991866 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/03/CaliWeather318-1020x680.jpg']The extra feet of snow the storm could drop this weekend is good news for the snowpack, which cities and farms rely on as a frozen reservoir for water supplies as it melts into rivers, streams and reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a good average season for us,” Lacey said. “We can definitely expect a good amount of snow this weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storm anticipated to start Friday won’t be as intense as the snowfall that covered the Sierra in a thick blanket of white in early March. Still, National Weather Service meteorologist Sara Purdue encourages travelers to take extra precautions this weekend. [pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Sara Purdue, meteorologist, National Weather Service\"]‘It’s certainly not an unusual storm in terms of intensity, but make sure you have chains, snacks and warm clothes in case you have to pull over for a time.’[/pullquote]“It’s certainly not an unusual storm in terms of intensity, but make sure you have chains, snacks and warm clothes in case you have to pull over for a time,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Purdue forecasts thunderstorms at lower elevations and in the Bay Area, where the windy storm could drop as much as an inch-and-a-half of rain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In positive news for building the snowpack, Purdue said a few more storms could bring more snow by the end of the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they don’t look like intense storms, we could see more rain, snow and wind,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jenelle Potvin loves running through a snowstorm to photograph its beauty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of my footage made the NBC Nightly News,” she said of an early March storm that buried her home in multiple feet of snow, which her dogs loved. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She’s already preparing her home in Truckee for about 1 foot of snow meteorologists forecast for her neighborhood this weekend. The looming storm could drop up to 3 feet of snow over the crest of the Sierra Nevada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a storm is on its way, Potvin does three things: She cancels her plans, checks in with any Airbnb guests who rent out an extra room in her house and cleans all the dog poop from her yard so it doesn’t freeze under the snow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Potvin is positively antsy for the storm to begin Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been sunny and really enjoyable, but we’re looking forward to a little storm,” she said.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The first spring storm comes nearly three weeks after a cold weather pattern dropped more than 12 feet of snow across the Sierra. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the Northern and Central Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Forecasters expect significant travel delays this weekend on major highways due to snow, icy roads and strong winds. But for outdoor adventurists, another storm is a chance to shred some powder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can cross-country ski or snowshoe right from our house if there’s enough snow,” Potvin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resorts like Palisades Tahoe, northwest of Lake Tahoe, are looking forward to more than 1 1/2 feet of snow this weekend, especially since the snow year started abysmal at best. In January, snow totals across the Sierra measured around 25% of the average, but now \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">are at 99% of the average for this time of year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>“We had an 8-foot storm that really put us over the top,” said Patrick Lacey, PR manager for Palisades Tahoe, remembering the early March storm that temporarily shut ski resorts down across the mountain range\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result, he said, “the skiing is absolutely phenomenal. It’s been firing out there.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The extra feet of snow the storm could drop this weekend is good news for the snowpack, which cities and farms rely on as a frozen reservoir for water supplies as it melts into rivers, streams and reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a good average season for us,” Lacey said. “We can definitely expect a good amount of snow this weekend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The storm anticipated to start Friday won’t be as intense as the snowfall that covered the Sierra in a thick blanket of white in early March. Still, National Weather Service meteorologist Sara Purdue encourages travelers to take extra precautions this weekend. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s certainly not an unusual storm in terms of intensity, but make sure you have chains, snacks and warm clothes in case you have to pull over for a time,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Purdue forecasts thunderstorms at lower elevations and in the Bay Area, where the windy storm could drop as much as an inch-and-a-half of rain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In positive news for building the snowpack, Purdue said a few more storms could bring more snow by the end of the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they don’t look like intense storms, we could see more rain, snow and wind,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Sierra Braces for Peak of Severe Storm, With Over 10 Feet of Snow Possible",
"headTitle": "Sierra Braces for Peak of Severe Storm, With Over 10 Feet of Snow Possible | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 9:30 a.m. Friday:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first wave of what the National Weather Service has said will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1991662/major-storm-dumps-snow-on-the-sierra-as-california-chases-an-average-snowpack\">the most extreme Sierra snowstorm in several years\u003c/a> is behind us, having moved over the mountain range Thursday evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the snow kept flying overnight:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/UCB_CSSL/status/1763607803846091132\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An update posted at 3:40 am on Friday by \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=afdsto\">the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office \u003c/a>said that satellite imagery shows the next wave of this storm approaching the California coast, “which will bring another increase in precipitation by [Friday] afternoon along with a chance for thunderstorms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The peak intensity of snowfall rates still appears on track for later this afternoon and overnight across the Sierra,” said the agency. Wind gusts will also increase on Friday, ripping at 45-55 mph through the Central Valley, and faster than 75 mph over mountain peaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lower elevations in the region will now also see snow over the next two days. “Snow levels have lowered to around 3000 to 4500 feet, and will lower further to 1000 to 2000 feet Saturday,” the forecast said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their core message with this storm has not changed: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains\">“Extremely dangerous to impossible mountain travel is expected.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Snow will come down at rates of 2 to 4+ inches per hour, which will close roads and produce white-out conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/CaltransDist3/status/1763590430711763136\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palisades Tahoe announced Friday morning that it would close for the day, with other ski slopes including Heavenly Ski Resort, Northstar California Resort and Sugar Bowl Resort also partially closing their terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update Thursday 11:56 a.m.: \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe huge Sierra storm is here. The forecast from the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office remains largely unchanged, with meteorologists ringing all kinds of warning bells about a blizzard that they expect to be the most severe of the past few winters – one that will create “extremely dangerous to impossible” travel conditions from Thursday afternoon through Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the weekend, snow will be accumulating as low as 1000 feet, which could mean snow cover on low-elevation foothill cities like Applegate and Colfax (and potentially on Bay Area peaks like Mount Diablo and Mount Tamalpais)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wind gusts will whip to 75 mph over the mountains, combining with heavy snowfall rates to create “near zero visibility at times” beginning on Thursday but especially on Friday and Saturday. The weather service continues to tell people not to drive in the Sierra during the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/1763264372091359472\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency’s latest weather forecasts also mention the possibility of thunderstorms for interior Northern California on Friday and Saturday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hazards from any T-storms that develop will include additional gusty winds, small hail, brief heavy rain and lightning,” said the Sacramento office’s latest forecast discussion. “As far as rainfall goes, much of the Valley will likely see generally less than 1.50″ inches through Saturday night. The foothills will see 2–4 inches, and the mountains will see 4–8 inches with locally heavier amounts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/UCB_CSSL/status/1763242540420223219?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Original Story Feb. 28:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nThe Sierra Nevada could receive more than 10 feet of snow over the next three days as a massive cold storm encapsulates Northern California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/sto/\">according to the National Weather Service\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is probably the biggest snowstorm potential that we’ve had in the last three years and the coldest storm we’ve seen so far this winter,” NWS Sacramento meteorologist Craig Shoemaker said. “That time [in 2021], Highway 50 was closed for days. There were a lot of trees down from that system, and power was out for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meteorologists issued a rare blizzard warning from 4 a.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Sunday and are warning of the possibility of zero visibility. They strongly advise people to only travel in the mountains once the storm clears. The agency also issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-01/major-highways-and-roads-still-closed-in-lake-tahoe-due-to-blizzard-conditions\">a similar blizzard warning in late February last year, closing highways into Tahoe and an avalanche\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting dangerous travel conditions, there are likely going to be highway closures, and there’s going to be whiteout conditions at times,” he said. “There should be no travel anywhere over the Sierra, heading in on Friday and Saturday.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/1762920427209547823?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The massive cold air mass is moving down the West Coast from the Gulf of Alaska. The agency forecasts “a tremendous amount of snow” and wind conditions of up to 50–80 miles per hour in the Sierra, which could down trees and power lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The storm will bring snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times,” said Courtney Carpenter, NWS Sacramento Warning Coordination Meteorologist. “It’s really going to pile up pretty quickly and make things nasty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Courtney Carpenter, warning coordination meteorologist, NWS Sacramento \"]‘The storm will bring snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times. It’s really going to pile up pretty quickly and make things nasty.’[/pullquote]Carpenter said snow conditions could drop to as low as 2,000 feet in foothill areas as the storm progresses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For ski resorts like Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe, all the snow is great for business, and resort officials said they do not yet plan to close down. They advise visitors to either head up the mountain before the storm arrives or to follow travel advice from the weather service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the powder hounds are excited to get out there in the deep stuff and have those fresh tracks,” said Cole Zimmerman, communications manager with the resort. “With that being said, we do expect heavy winds. There’s a chance that some of those upper mountain lifts could be closed down because of winds that could reach up to 100 miles an hour.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zimmerman said the resort is watching the storm closely and will close down when people’s safety is in jeopardy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s such a thing as too much snow in the short term because you have to dig out lifts and chip off snow and ice off those lifts,” he said. “But in the long term, it ends up being a good thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1762577660528787576?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What will 10+ feet of snow do for the state’s snowpack?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the potential of 10 to 12 feet of snow holds much promise for the snowpack, Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, said weather models have routinely overestimated snow and rain levels this water year. He expects 7 to 9 feet of snow across the Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11937204,news_11972590,science_1991522\"]“They’ve been overdoing it with expected amounts of precipitation all season and that makes us a little bit weary to throw big numbers out there,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For people who live in the Sierra or are visitors, Schwartz recommends buying three to five days’ worth of supplies, including food, water and flashlights. He said the best option is to hunker down in place once the cold winter storm hits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Preparing for these storms is akin to preparing for a hurricane,” he said. “People living here are putting plywood on their windows to prevent the snow from shedding off their roofs and shattering them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz said all this snow could bring the snowpack to just at or above average for the year. \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">At the moment, the snowpack is 71% of the April 1 average\u003c/a>, which is the timeframe water managers look to as an indicator of potential water supply for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if we got 10 to 12 feet of snow, we would still need another 2 to 4 feet to get us to the average for the entire year,” he said. “It’s not likely to be one-storm-that-fixes-all type of thing. But with that being said, it’ll definitely get us very close to that point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Thunderstorm potential, Bay Area snow, and more\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The storm has about a 20% chance of creating thunderstorms over the foothill and the Sacramento Valley that could contain hail and lightning. Flooding risk is minimal because of the cold nature of the storm, but local nuisance flooding is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area peaks like Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton could glow white as the sizable cold storm passes over the region starting Thursday and lasting through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Snow levels look like they’re going to get down to about 1,800 to 2,000 feet,” NWS Bay Area meteorologist Dalton Behringer said. “It should be a nice site with green hills and snow-capped mountains.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1762826680366969298?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behringer said the storm could drop up to an inch of rain in most parts of the Bay Area. Coastal mountains could receive a few inches of rain, and nuisance flooding could occur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just going to be dealing with cold rain and cloudy, dreary conditions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said wind gusts could top out around 40 miles per hour across the region, and the agency has issued a high surf warning along the coast with waves of up to 15 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the storm passed over Northern California, Schwartz said there were “hints” that there could be another storm in a week to 10 days after the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As far as one storm after the other coming through, that’s probably somewhat unlikely,” he said. “But maybe the occasional big storm weeks apart is still very much in the cards as we move forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 9:30 a.m. Friday:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first wave of what the National Weather Service has said will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1991662/major-storm-dumps-snow-on-the-sierra-as-california-chases-an-average-snowpack\">the most extreme Sierra snowstorm in several years\u003c/a> is behind us, having moved over the mountain range Thursday evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the snow kept flying overnight:\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>An update posted at 3:40 am on Friday by \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=afdsto\">the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office \u003c/a>said that satellite imagery shows the next wave of this storm approaching the California coast, “which will bring another increase in precipitation by [Friday] afternoon along with a chance for thunderstorms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The peak intensity of snowfall rates still appears on track for later this afternoon and overnight across the Sierra,” said the agency. Wind gusts will also increase on Friday, ripping at 45-55 mph through the Central Valley, and faster than 75 mph over mountain peaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lower elevations in the region will now also see snow over the next two days. “Snow levels have lowered to around 3000 to 4500 feet, and will lower further to 1000 to 2000 feet Saturday,” the forecast said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their core message with this storm has not changed: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937204/lake-tahoe-weather-forecast-road-conditions-snow-chains\">“Extremely dangerous to impossible mountain travel is expected.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Snow will come down at rates of 2 to 4+ inches per hour, which will close roads and produce white-out conditions.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palisades Tahoe announced Friday morning that it would close for the day, with other ski slopes including Heavenly Ski Resort, Northstar California Resort and Sugar Bowl Resort also partially closing their terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update Thursday 11:56 a.m.: \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe huge Sierra storm is here. The forecast from the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office remains largely unchanged, with meteorologists ringing all kinds of warning bells about a blizzard that they expect to be the most severe of the past few winters – one that will create “extremely dangerous to impossible” travel conditions from Thursday afternoon through Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the weekend, snow will be accumulating as low as 1000 feet, which could mean snow cover on low-elevation foothill cities like Applegate and Colfax (and potentially on Bay Area peaks like Mount Diablo and Mount Tamalpais)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wind gusts will whip to 75 mph over the mountains, combining with heavy snowfall rates to create “near zero visibility at times” beginning on Thursday but especially on Friday and Saturday. The weather service continues to tell people not to drive in the Sierra during the storm.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The agency’s latest weather forecasts also mention the possibility of thunderstorms for interior Northern California on Friday and Saturday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hazards from any T-storms that develop will include additional gusty winds, small hail, brief heavy rain and lightning,” said the Sacramento office’s latest forecast discussion. “As far as rainfall goes, much of the Valley will likely see generally less than 1.50″ inches through Saturday night. The foothills will see 2–4 inches, and the mountains will see 4–8 inches with locally heavier amounts.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Original Story Feb. 28:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nThe Sierra Nevada could receive more than 10 feet of snow over the next three days as a massive cold storm encapsulates Northern California, \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/sto/\">according to the National Weather Service\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is probably the biggest snowstorm potential that we’ve had in the last three years and the coldest storm we’ve seen so far this winter,” NWS Sacramento meteorologist Craig Shoemaker said. “That time [in 2021], Highway 50 was closed for days. There were a lot of trees down from that system, and power was out for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meteorologists issued a rare blizzard warning from 4 a.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Sunday and are warning of the possibility of zero visibility. They strongly advise people to only travel in the mountains once the storm clears. The agency also issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-01/major-highways-and-roads-still-closed-in-lake-tahoe-due-to-blizzard-conditions\">a similar blizzard warning in late February last year, closing highways into Tahoe and an avalanche\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re expecting dangerous travel conditions, there are likely going to be highway closures, and there’s going to be whiteout conditions at times,” he said. “There should be no travel anywhere over the Sierra, heading in on Friday and Saturday.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The massive cold air mass is moving down the West Coast from the Gulf of Alaska. The agency forecasts “a tremendous amount of snow” and wind conditions of up to 50–80 miles per hour in the Sierra, which could down trees and power lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The storm will bring snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times,” said Courtney Carpenter, NWS Sacramento Warning Coordination Meteorologist. “It’s really going to pile up pretty quickly and make things nasty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘The storm will bring snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times. It’s really going to pile up pretty quickly and make things nasty.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Carpenter said snow conditions could drop to as low as 2,000 feet in foothill areas as the storm progresses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For ski resorts like Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe, all the snow is great for business, and resort officials said they do not yet plan to close down. They advise visitors to either head up the mountain before the storm arrives or to follow travel advice from the weather service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the powder hounds are excited to get out there in the deep stuff and have those fresh tracks,” said Cole Zimmerman, communications manager with the resort. “With that being said, we do expect heavy winds. There’s a chance that some of those upper mountain lifts could be closed down because of winds that could reach up to 100 miles an hour.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zimmerman said the resort is watching the storm closely and will close down when people’s safety is in jeopardy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s such a thing as too much snow in the short term because you have to dig out lifts and chip off snow and ice off those lifts,” he said. “But in the long term, it ends up being a good thing.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003ch2>What will 10+ feet of snow do for the state’s snowpack?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While the potential of 10 to 12 feet of snow holds much promise for the snowpack, Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, said weather models have routinely overestimated snow and rain levels this water year. He expects 7 to 9 feet of snow across the Sierra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“They’ve been overdoing it with expected amounts of precipitation all season and that makes us a little bit weary to throw big numbers out there,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For people who live in the Sierra or are visitors, Schwartz recommends buying three to five days’ worth of supplies, including food, water and flashlights. He said the best option is to hunker down in place once the cold winter storm hits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Preparing for these storms is akin to preparing for a hurricane,” he said. “People living here are putting plywood on their windows to prevent the snow from shedding off their roofs and shattering them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz said all this snow could bring the snowpack to just at or above average for the year. \u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action\">At the moment, the snowpack is 71% of the April 1 average\u003c/a>, which is the timeframe water managers look to as an indicator of potential water supply for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if we got 10 to 12 feet of snow, we would still need another 2 to 4 feet to get us to the average for the entire year,” he said. “It’s not likely to be one-storm-that-fixes-all type of thing. But with that being said, it’ll definitely get us very close to that point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Thunderstorm potential, Bay Area snow, and more\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The storm has about a 20% chance of creating thunderstorms over the foothill and the Sacramento Valley that could contain hail and lightning. Flooding risk is minimal because of the cold nature of the storm, but local nuisance flooding is possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area peaks like Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton could glow white as the sizable cold storm passes over the region starting Thursday and lasting through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Snow levels look like they’re going to get down to about 1,800 to 2,000 feet,” NWS Bay Area meteorologist Dalton Behringer said. “It should be a nice site with green hills and snow-capped mountains.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Behringer said the storm could drop up to an inch of rain in most parts of the Bay Area. Coastal mountains could receive a few inches of rain, and nuisance flooding could occur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just going to be dealing with cold rain and cloudy, dreary conditions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said wind gusts could top out around 40 miles per hour across the region, and the agency has issued a high surf warning along the coast with waves of up to 15 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the storm passed over Northern California, Schwartz said there were “hints” that there could be another storm in a week to 10 days after the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As far as one storm after the other coming through, that’s probably somewhat unlikely,” he said. “But maybe the occasional big storm weeks apart is still very much in the cards as we move forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
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"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz",
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},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
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"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
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},
"closealltabs": {
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"here-and-now": {
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"order": 15
},
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 18
},
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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