The water stored as snow in the 400-mile long range is now 185 percent of normal for the beginning of March.
Published Mar 3, 2017
A succession of storms in January and February dumped huge amounts of snow on the Sierra Nevada.
Published Feb 13, 2019
El Niño brought more rain and snow to California this winter, but not enough to offset the water deficit built up over four years.
Published Apr 14, 2016
Mount Shasta is usually snow-capped. But this winter, it is a lot more brown than white, as drought deepens in California.
Published Jan 17, 2014
Reservoirs, lakes, and mountainsides are brimming with water and snow, though scientists caution that underground aquifers are a long way from having the same bounty.
Published Apr 21, 2017
NASA airborne snow surveys provide key information for California water managers.
Published Apr 22, 2017
Nearly all of California was in a state of extreme drought at the end of January 2014. Forests and farms clearly showed the effects in satellite measurements of vegetation.
Published Feb 14, 2014
Thanks to a series of drought-busting storms, the mountain range has unusually thick and extensive snow cover this year.
Published Jun 15, 2017
The typically green valleys and snow-covered mountains of California have grown dusty after three years of drought.
Published Jul 18, 2014
Flying over the Sierras in a Twin Otter aircraft, NASA scientists are finding new ways to measure the amount of water stored in the winter snowpack with greater accuracy than ever before.
Published Apr 3, 2014
Snow cover in late March 2015 was significantly lower than the previous worst year on record. The landscape change is stark since 2010, the last time the region saw average snowfall.
Published Apr 3, 2015
Analysis of Landsat and MODIS data showed where agricultural production was affected by long-term drought in California.
Published Jan 30, 2015
The winter of 2019-2020 was much drier than usual in California, as evidenced by the dearth of snow in the mountains.
Published Mar 13, 2020
An unusual atmospheric river should give northern California a buffer against drought as the state enters the dry, summer months.
Published Apr 13, 2018
Dark brown squares mark fields that would ordinarily support irrigated crops in California’s Central Valley in this vegetation image. In 2009, a lack of water meant that the crops were not growing well or the fields lay fallow.
Published Aug 16, 2009
While autumn rains offered some relief to Northern California, drought still reigns in the southern part of the state.
Published Nov 16, 2016
More than 64 million people are directly affected by drought in the Southwest and Southern Plains, and far more are indirectly affected because of the vast number of farms, orchards, and ranches that supply the rest of the United States.
Published Nov 27, 2014
December rains and groundwater pumping keep vegetation looking green amidst a deep drought.
Published Feb 26, 2015
After four years of shrinking due to drought, the largest reservoir in California got a much-needed boost from El Niño-fueled winter precipitation.
Published Apr 7, 2016
A new web tool designed by NASA applied scientists could help the tribe anticipate and respond to drought.
Published Apr 20, 2020
Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Life Severe Storms Snow and Ice
Seasonal snowpack in the Sierra Nevada depends on whether a winter is wet or dry, and 2015 shaped up to be exceptionally dry.
Published Oct 21, 2015
A low snowpack and warm temperatures pose a hazard for crops over the coming months.
Published Mar 20, 2018
In mid-September 2015, water stored near the surface and underground in the U.S. West was far-below-normal.
Published Sep 18, 2015
Two reservoirs in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada show the effects of long-term drought.
Published Aug 3, 2014
