For those planning on a PCT hike in 2018
Now that we are into Feb we are getting a firming up picture of what the snow situation is likely to be this year.
Note this can change fast as there are often big storms in the spring, but as the article said, there has never been a year which got back to average from this deep of a deficit this late in the water year.
For the newer folks (if this trend holds of course) it would imply that water sources in the south would be less than average, there would likely still be some snow on the tops of the high southern mtns (San Jacinto for ex) as there almost always is, etc. Still way to early to call the high passes north of Kennedy Meadows.
Central Sierra moisture is very low and to date it is the 3rd driest on record. And it appears as if the entire SW is heading into another dry period. At my house in AZ we have had only 1/10 inch of moisture since early Oct and the temperatures all winter have been way above normal (going to be 85F in Phoenix this weekend).
One can follow the Postholer and cdec links as the winter wans to have a current idea what is going on and to adjust plans accordingly. Cheers.
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/ca...anding-drought
https://www.postholer.com/postholer/...we_current.png
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/p...s/PLOT_SWC.pdf