A storm blanketed the Sierra Nevada in heavy snow and soaked much of California with rain, bringing a wet start of winter weather after three years of record drought.
The storm brought 3 to 4 feet of fresh snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada over the weekend.
From the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, between 1 inch and 4 inches of rain fell in many areas. Some parts of the hills and mountains received up to 7 inches of rain over two days, sending water rushing in creeks.
The amount of rainfall varied widely across Southern California. Less than an inch of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles, while Pasadena recorded about 3.5 inches and Burbank saw 1.2 inches, according to the National Weather Service. More than 5 inches of rain fell in parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The storm brought a welcome boost to the state’s severely depleted water supplies. The last three years have been California’s driest on record, and the state’s reservoirs remain far below average levels.
Meteorologists and climate scientists said although the storm brought a bit of much-needed relief, it’s much too early to know whether this winter will begin to ease the drought.
“This is a great start to the winter, but it’s unlikely that it will impact the drought,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist and manager of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory. “If we get to March or April and we’re above average, then we can start to talk about impacts to the drought.”
Last December, a record-breaking 17 feet and 10 inches of snow fell at the snow lab, but then the snow stopped, and the next three months were extremely dry.
The latest storm arrived over the weekend with strong, gusty winds and brought the biggest snowfall so far this fall.
The snow lab, in Soda Springs northwest of Lake Tahoe, recorded more than 3½ feet of snow over two days. Some other areas at ski resorts measured 4 feet.
The blizzard reached its peak Saturday, with as much as 5 inches of…