According to today's Weather and Crop Bulletin report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Western storminess waned, following a remarkable first half of December that added approximately 8 inches to the water equivalency of the Sierra Nevada snowpack, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
The Sierra Nevada’s season-to-date accumulation, more than 11 inches of snow-water equivalency, was more than twice the mid-December normal—but barely 40 percent of the typical accrual during an entire winter wet season.
Farther east, the north-central U.S. was hammered by a blizzard, which caused travel disruptions and stressed livestock in a multi-state area stretching from northeastern Colorado to the Dakotas. Snow later spread across the Great Lakes region and into the Northeast, while rain fell in the southern Corn Belt.
For the full USDA report for Dec. 20, click here.