Fire worries rise after Klamath Basin snow levels drop to third of average

Lower than expected snowfall could make fire conditions in western Siskiyou County worse than last year.

Snow levels dropped to about a third of their usual depth, meaning there will likely be less water stored in the forest this year, according to a report issued by the Klamath National Forest. That could make brush drier than average and more easily ignited during peak fire season this summer.

Throughout February, lack of snow and daytime temperatures above freezing melted what hopes the U.S. Forest Service had that snowpack would recover after a dryer-than-usual January.

A forest service snow survey found the snowpack fell to 32% of its average historic depth for this time of year, according to a Klamath National Forest snow report completed on March 1. The snow's water content was also extremely low — 34% of its historic average.

The forest service reported the same super-dry conditions at every site tested in the Scott Valley area, the report said.

The latest survey disappointed earlier hopes the forest service said it had that February and early March snowstorms would arrive, raining relief.

At that time — Feb. 1 — a forest service snow survey found snow levels at 62% — water content at 58% — of the historic average, Forest Service spokeswoman Kimberly DeVall said.

This year's snowpack lower than 2021

While still unusually low, 2021 snow levels were better than this year's, DeVall said in February. Snowpack in 2021 was 19% lower than the historic average. Water content was 33% lower.

Last summer, dry conditions fed fires and helped them spread in the Klamath National Forest — among them the River Complex, which destroyed 199,343 acres of forest land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Snowpack usually reaches its maximum for the year by late-March or early-April, the Forest Service said, so levels could still improve if rain arrives this month and freezing temperatures store it.

Monthly snow surveys are conducted in winter and spring in the Klamath National Forest. They're part of the California Cooperative Snow Survey program, which helps the state forecast the quantity of water available for agriculture, power generation, recreation and stream flow releases later in the year.

How snow is measured

Hydrologists measure snow depth by pushing a tube with a sharp cutting end through snow. They then weigh the sample to determine its water content.

More:Snowpack levels drop in 2022, melting hopes for calm Siskiyou County wildfire season

The Forest Service takes measurements at the same sites in the Scott River watershed every month from January to April, DeVall said. Those sites have been tested for 35 years or longer. The oldest — at Middle Boulder, west of Dunsmuir — has been tested for more than 70 years.

Results are sent to the California Department of Water Resources for statewide analysis.

The Klamath National Forest spans 1.7 million acres of Siskiyou County and Jackson County, Oregon.

For more on snow levels and water in California, go to cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.