Striking before-and-after satellite photos show the start of the great California snowmelt
Cars on Highway 395 along the east side of the Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, Calif., on March 22, 2023. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As Cali...
Cars on Highway 395 along the east side of the Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, Calif., on March 22, 2023. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As California's wet winter has given way to warmer spring weather, the state's record snowpack has begun to melt. Though the accumulated snow still measures 249% of normal as of April 18, new satellite photos show that the white blankets enveloping mountains across the state have started to recede. The Southern Sierra continues to be the standout region, with snow levels on slopes there at more than 300% of normal.