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Wet Winter Gives Way To Dry January

Winter might have started wet and snowy in California, but now the weather is looking like a rerun of last year. That could mean water rationing in the spring. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce has

Wet Winter Gives Way To Dry January

Winter might have started wet and snowy in California, but now the weather is looking like a rerun of last year. That could mean water rationing in the spring. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

We may enjoy the warm sunny days with above average temperatures but the blue sky comes at a price.

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State Meteorologist Elissa Lynn says January represents nearly 20% of the Northern Sierra winter.  And a dry month is hurting water supply.

Lynn : Most of the water supply for the state comes from in the Sierra mountains somewhere, a lot of it from the Northern Sierra. And we are looking now at potentially our driest January on record if we don't seen any more rain or snow up there in the high country.

Lynn says the forecast shows the dry weather continuing another 10 days, which could make January the driest month since 1991.

She says for an average year, the Sierra needs to pick up between 10 and 20 feet of snow by March.
 
San Diego County's main water supplier says there's now a 50-percent chance of water rationing in the region this spring.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.

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