Winter storm's impact on the snowpack, Sierra slopes
Winter storm's impact on the snowpack, Sierra slopes
At Sports Basement in Berkeley, the rental area was busy. A long line of people checked out skis, snowboards, boots, and other snow gear. Many were headed to the Sierra after a winter storm dumped more than a foot of fresh snow in the Tahoe area, with much more in the forecast.
BERKELEY, Calif. - At Sports Basement in Berkeley, the rental area was busy. A long line of people checked out skis, snowboards, boots, and other snow gear. Many were headed to the Sierra after a winter storm dumped more than a foot of fresh snow in the Tahoe area, with much more in the forecast.
Video from the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab shows a winter wonderland of snow-covered trees. Lead scientist Andrew Schwartz said they received hours of consistent snowfall. He talked about the impact to the snowpack.
"The entire state average is 174 percent which is better that last year. And a lot of that is because we are seeing a lot more snow in the southern Sierra Nevada. The nice thing about that is that is one of the areas where it is desperately needed."
Palisades Tahoe reported receiving 57 inches of snow in 7 days. The resort also had to close some lifts during wind holds.
"It’s been a wet, wild ride for sure. We’ve seen wind on the ridgetops about 119 miles per hour," said ski expert Kevin "Coop" Cooper.
Coop said this is already shaping up to be a great ski season, but officials are closely watching the incoming storms, that could bring several inches of rain.
"That could be a challenging thing because what will happen is the pack will start to melt off," said Coop. "Great for the lake, bad for erosion, and bad for flooding."