January 8, 2016
CapitalPress.com
11
California
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%LJVQRZSDFNPD\QRWEHHQRXJK\HWWR¿OOUHVHUYRLUV California
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
SACRAMENTO — Cali-
fornia’s impressive early-win-
ter snowpack may not be
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summer if warmer rains or
temperatures come along and
wipe out the gains, experts say.
So far, many of the storms
that have rolled into Califor-
nia this fall and early winter
have been fed by a northern jet
stream, bringing cold tempera-
tures down from Canada and
producing impressive levels of
snow.
Even this week’s El Ni-
no-driven storms were expect-
ed to bring snow levels as low
as 3,500 feet, according to the
National Weather Service. But
if storms warm up and only
drop snow above 7,000 feet,
the snowpack could still be in
long-term trouble.
“If it’s 5,000 feet, that’s
still safe” for maintaining
healthy snowpack levels, said
Michelle Mead, a National
Weather Service warning co-
ordinator in Sacramento. “It’s
really going to be individual
storm dependent.”
This week’s active system
Courtesy of Calif. Dept. of Water Resources
Frank Gehrke, right, chief snow surveyor for the California Department of Water Resources, and DWR
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miles east of Sacramento. So far, California’s snow water content is above normal for this time of year.
comes after state snow surveys
chief Frank Gerhke and others
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manual snow survey of the
season Dec. 30 at a mountain
station about 90 miles east of
Sacramento.
Gehrke found a snow depth
of 54.7 inches — 16 inches
more than the average depth
measured there since 1965 —
and 16.3 inches of water con-
tent, 138 percent of the Jan. 1
average for the site, according
to the state Department of Wa-
ter Resources.
But as of Jan. 5, Califor-
nia’s statewide snow water
content was 97 percent of nor-
mal for the date, down from 105
percent of normal on Dec. 30,
according to the DWR’s Cali-
fornia Data Exchange Center.
“Clearly, this is much better
than it was last year at this time,
but we haven’t had the full ef-
fect of the El Nino yet,” Gehrke
told reporters after conducting
his survey. “If we believe the
forecasts, then El Nino is sup-
posed to kick in as we move
through the rest of the winter.
That will be critical when it
comes to looking at reservoir
storage.”
The heavy snowfall so far
this winter “has been a reason-
able start, but another three or
four months of surveys will in-
dicate whether the snowpack’s
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plenish California’s reservoirs
by the summer,” DWR director
Mark Cowin said in a state-
ment.
In any case, more than four
years of drought have left a wa-
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PD\EHGLI¿FXOWWRRYHUFRPHLQ
just one winter season, Gehrke
said.
One or two warm storms
wouldn’t be enough to wipe out
the snowpack, Mead said. The
snow acts as a sponge and ab-
sorbs water that falls as rain un-
til it’s saturated, then it begins
to melt.
“We do have a pretty good
snowpack up there now,” she
said. “It’s still at or just above
average.”
But warmer rainfall and
temperatures typically start to
melt the snow in the spring,
which keeps the reservoirs
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mer months. If the snow melts
earlier than normal, there may
not be enough water left over
this summer.
“With an El Nino year, we
can’t for sure say when that
will happen,” Mead said, re-
ferring to snow melt.
Citrus growers dodge freezes, proceed with abundant harvest
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —
Growers of navel oranges and
other citrus fruit dodged several
hard freezes in December and
say they’re still seeing a sweet
and abundant crop.
The Sultana, Calif.-based
Twin Girls Farms encountered
the cold in its orchards in Fres-
no and Tulare counties in recent
weeks, and it’s too soon to tell if
there was any damage, company
salesman Robert Serna said.
But overall, the season has
been going well, said Serna, who
was selling organic navel orang-
es at a booth at a farmers’ market
here.
“With our oranges, the sugar
levels came on early and every-
thing’s been nice,” he said. “It’s
been good.”
At Frog Hollow Farm in
Brentwood, Calif., in the San
Francisco Bay area, the winter
season’s citrus fruit appears un-
scathed by the cold winter tem-
peratures, representatives said.
“Our citrus seems to be far-
ing pretty well,” sales associate
Trinity Murchie said. “We’ve
had trouble with (freezes) in the
past, but it’s doing pretty well
this year.”
In the San Joaquin Val-
ley, growers took precautions
against anticipated sub-freezing
temperatures on Dec. 15, but a
decent cloud cover in most cit-
rus-producing areas kept over-
night temperatures in the upper
20s or low 30s, the Exeter-based
California Citrus Mutual report-
ed.
Another hard freeze was
expected just after Christmas,
prompting growers to run wind
machines and water, but tem-
peratures ranged in the upper
20s and lower 30s again, the
trade organization noted.
Growers will typically start
running wind machines on Man-
darin varieties when tempera-
tures fall to freezing, while more
cold-tolerant orange and lemon
varieties can withstand tempera-
tures as low as 28 degrees, Cit-
rus Mutual explained in a news
release.
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Robert Serna (right) of Twin Girls Farms in Sultana, Calif.,
sells organic navel oranges to a customer Dec. 30 at
a farmers’ market in Santa Cruz, Calif. Citrus growers
dodged several hard freezes in December.
misses mark
for saving
water, again
By SCOTT SMITH
Associated Press
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) —
Residents of drought-weary
California in November fell
short of hitting a 25 percent
water conservation mandate for
a second month running, state
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The monthly tally comes as
a series of much-anticipated El
Nino storms line up, expecting
to drench the state for several
days and boost the snowpack.
Felicia Marcus, chair of the
State Water Resources Control
Board, said California remains
on course to beat its long-term
goal through February. Marcus
wouldn’t reveal ahead of Tues-
day’s formal announcement
exactly how much the state fell
short of its target.
The numbers, however, re-
veal considerable savings over
past years, said Marcus, adding
that residents understand that it
is too early to declare an end to
a drought already spanning four
years.
“Folks are continuing to be
thoughtful about water use in
the face of the El Nino,” said
Marcus, adding that she antic-
ipated less saving during the
winter months. “It’s a smaller
percentage, but it’s still pretty
good.”
Gov. Jerry Brown issued a
statewide order beginning in
June to conserve water by 25
percent compared to the same
period in 2013, the year before
he declared a drought emergen-
cy.
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a setback in October, when Cal-
ifornians missed the mandated
target, posting 22 percent in
savings. Regulators said at the
time that since enforcement be-
gan, the state cut water use by
a combined 27 percent, leaving
some wiggle room.
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