Sierra hits 2nd snowiest season on record

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Photo posted on Twitter on Sunday, March 19, 2023, of researchers measuring snow accumulation. On Monday the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said the 2022-23 season was officially the second snowiest its recorded. (UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab)

SODA SPRINGS, Calif. - With the massive amount of snowfall the Sierra has received, and with this latest storm adding to the accumulation, it might not be surprising that this season has now been designated as among the snowiest on record. In fact this week, the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab (CSSL) determined that the 2022-23 season was now officially the second snowiest since the field research lab was built on Donner Pass in 1946.

Researchers said that as of Monday, the lab has measured 677 inches (56.4 feet) of snow. That included the 7.7 inches it received the previous 24 hours.

The snowfall accumulation surpassed the 1982-83 season which, for decades, had been the second snowiest at 671 inches (55.9 feet).

CSSL said the record snowfall happened more than 70 years ago during the 1951-52 season, when the lab received 812 inches (67.7 feet).

"Still far from #1 but we'll get closer over the next week," researchers said on Twitter, sharing an impressive graphs showing this season's historical snowfall standing.

(UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab)

The Greater Tahoe Area was under a winter weather advisory through 11 p.m. on Tuesday, with snow showers in the forecast for the coming days.

The National Weather Service said that it expected total snow accumulations of two to six inches in the region, and up to 12 inches in higher elevations above 7,000 feet, with strong winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour along ridge-lines.