The ’22-’23 season is now officially the second snowiest winter on record for the Sierras at 677 inches.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, located at Donner Pass, shared the news on Monday via Twitter.
A recent snowshower officially broke the previous 2nd place record, measured in the winter of 1982-1983 season of 671 inches. Despite the excitement, the #1 spot still belongs to the 1951-1952 season, which was measured at a staggering 812 inches.
The Central Sierra Snow Laboratory (CCSL) is located at Donner Pass, a short drive from the shores of Lake Tahoe. This UC Berkeley-managed field station specializes in snow physics, snow hydrology, meteorology, climatology, and instrument design. The facility was originally built by the Army Corps of Engineers and run by the US Weather Bureau, now known as the National Weather Service.
Thanks to powerful storms and heavy snowfall across the region, a record-breaking season isn’t out of the question. According to the CCSL, 26.6 inches of snow have fallen over the past 7 days and we’re only 135 inches shy of breaking the ’52-’53 record. Whether or not it ends up being the snowiest winter on record it’s already been a winter to remember.