The recent California heat wave has not brought with it a flood of icy water from the snow packed Sierra’s, and experts say the snow should instead melt off at a slow, gradual rate in the coming months.
Hydrologists initially worried about the excess snowfall that accumulated in late May and is still intact at higher elevations. Over the past month, though, their fears have eased as any flooding was minor and localized to back country creeks.
“Everything’s been controlled and very manageable,” said Mark McLaughlin, a Tahoe weather historian and writer with Mic Mac Media. “None of the worst case scenarios have happened.”
In the Central Sierra region snow pack conditions are 205 percent of normal and statewide conditions are 200 percent of normal, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
McLaughlin said any major flooding would be the result of “widespread, prolonged heavy rains” rather than a heat wave, and that it would most likely happen during the winter.
In the winter of 1997, reservoirs were filled to capacity and there had been six feet of snow fall when a storm brought 20 inches of rain to the area and flooded the San Joaquin River Basin.
Randall Osterhuber, a researcher and manager at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, said reservoir managers have to keep a close watch on water levels. They can’t release too much water for fear of losing their reserves, but also can’t hold too much in case of an influx like in 1997.
“That’s the real challenge,” said Osterhuber.