The Lowest of the Snow

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http://www.onearth.org/earthwire/california-snowpack-levels-by-satellite

Source: By Clara Chaisson, onEarth, NRDC
For Investigation:  10.3

Excerpt: California’s ... snowmelt normally meets about 30 percent of the state’s annual water needs. But this...is not a normal year. Ongoing drought has driven statewide snowpack down to just five percent of the historical average for the date of April 1—obliterating the previous record low of 25 percent. Worse yet, increasing low water levels may be the “new normal.” The downtrend becomes clear in ...NASA satellite imagery. [Satellite images interactive] of the Central Valley in March 2010 and March 2015 is basically like using a snow eraser....

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