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Sierra Nevada Enjoys Winter Snows

(AP Photo/Scott Sonner)
(AP Photo/Scott Sonner)

Snow clings to tree branches on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 outside the National Weather Service's Reno station, where 10 inches of snow was recorded earlier in the day. It was just one of several big storms to drop snow on the area improving the all important snow pack for the region.

Halfway through the winter, more snow is a welcome change after several years of warm conditions.

​Snowpack at Mount Rose near Reno is at about 110-percent of normal. 

Ben Spillman, a reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, told KNPR's State of Nevada that more snow in the mountains means more water in the system. 

"It does a lot stuff for Nevada's drought," Spillman said, "Mainly, it's a great way to store water." 

When the water melts in the spring, it will be diverted to reservoirs around the area. However, Spillman was quick to point out why we shouldn't be celebrating just yet.

"I would say we have been in a really severe drought for several years and one half of one winter that is average is really not going to change that," he said.

Spillman said even though the first part of the winter months have been great it won't be until April when scientists really start to analyze the snow pack that we will know the impact.

"Last year was just an epically dry and warm year and so just seeing an average winter or an above average winter seems like a big deal," he said.

 

 

 

Ben Spillman, ​covers outdoor topics for Sierra Outdoors in the Reno Gazette-Journal.

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