US National Weather Service Reno – After above average snowfall in December, northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains have experienced an record dry start to 2013. A storm is currently forecast to impact the Sierra Nevada the last few days of March; however, it is unlikely to bring the additional 1.2 inches of precipitation needed to avoid being the driest January, February, March combination on record for Tahoe City.

The graph shows the total accumulated precipitation for 2013, the average precipitation, and the driest period on record for January, February, and March in Tahoe City. The climatological normal precipitation for the period January 1st through March 31st combined in Tahoe City from 1980 to 2010 is 16.30 inches. The driest January 1st through March 31st on record was 1976 with only 3.62 inches of precipitation, while the total precipitation for the same period in 2013 thus far is only 2.42 inches.

The precipitation record in Tahoe City goes back over 100 years and is part of the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer (COOP) Program. Thanks to all our COOP observers, without which these type of records keeping and analysis would not be possible.

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