Hot temperatures increase snow melt, authorities warn of frigid river conditions
By Shawnte Passmore
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SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Recent hot temperatures are sending people to the river for a little fun in the sun, but they’re also raising concerns about our water supply.
When Christina Coffee of Oakland saw Thursday’s forecast, she knew she’d spend the day at Discovery Park.
“My kids are on spring break and Sacramento has beautiful weather,” said the mother
But not everyone is on the beach. Some enjoy the scene from the shade.
“Old people don’t do 105 [degrees] good,” said Ralph Wieder of Rancho Cordova.
Not quite that hot, but hot enough for some to wade in the water. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District warns residents to just be mindful that river temps can be dangerous.
“Right now, at last check, it’s about 55 degrees. So, there’s a potential for hypothermia if you’re in that water for upwards of an hour,” said department spokesperson Capt. Parker Wilbourn.
Snow runoff is the reason why. Each increasingly hot day means the snowmelt rate increases. After a roaring start to the wet season in December, the precipitation tap turned off in 2022 with dry records for January and February.
“Our snowpack is probably 20 to 30 percent of average – for this time of the year during April through July,” said,
Brett Whitin, a service coordinator hydrologist at the California-Nevada River Forecast Center for the National Weather Service.
Whitin expects the snowmelt volume into reservoirs to be like last year’s numbers.
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