Rough freakin’ winter in the Sierras this year, huh?
Welp, to rub it in, NOAA put this graphic together just to hurt our feelings. In reality this comparison is viciously unfair considering that 2011 was the best season we’ve had on record and 2013 is shaping up to be the worst. I suppose it’ll help us all embrace the yin and yang of the universe.
Here we go:
“These images compare the snow depth over the Sierra and western Nevada from two years ago during the very wet winter of 2010-2011 (left image) with today, March 22 (right image). Areas in blue indicate snow cover up to about 40 inches, while the purple and magenta areas show snow cover over 40 inches. No snow cover is present in the brown and green areas. Note the large difference in the area of deep snowpack in the Sierra between 2011 and 2013, and also the virtual absence of any snow on the ground in western and central Nevada this year. If no significant rain or snow falls before the end of March, many locations in eastern California and western Nevada will set records for the driest three month start to the year.” -Noaa.gov
