Snowpack still in good shape at end of December

While precipitation during December was light in the upper Carson River basin, most locations are still above average for moisture at the end of the water year's first quarter.

Snow telemetry reported by the Natural Resource Conservation Center shows Ebbetts Pass, Monitor Pass, Poison Flat and Spratt Creek at 100 percent or better. Only Blue Lakes is showing a below normal for this time of year with 74 percent the average moisture for first quarter.

Meanwhile, lower elevations in the Carson River Basin are showing substantially above average, with Minden receiving 1.34 inches during December, bringing it to 151 percent of average so far for the water year, which kicks off Oct. 1. The Douglas County seat has received 45 percent of its average 8.38 inches of moisture a year in the first quarter, the highest percentage in the basin.

But Minden wasn't alone among the flatlanders to receive substantial moisture during the month. The champion was Fallon Naval Air Station with 249 percent of average for December. According to the National Weather Service, .92 inches of moisture was recorded there, bringing the location near the bottom of the river basin up to 136 percent of average for the quarter.

The entire basin received 114 percent of average precipitation for December and is at 109 percent of average so far for the year. The National Weather Service reports the basin has received 32 percent.

The Walker River Basin is at 129 percent of average for the year so far. While telemetry shows moisture in the mountains approaching average or slightly better, the highest percentages were in the eastern reaches of the basin. Hawthorne received twice its average moisture with .54 inches for the month. Wabuska came in second place with 162 percent with .55 inches.

The Lake Tahoe Basin has averaged only 87 percent in the first quarter of the water year, while the Truckee River Basin is at 96 percent.