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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 5h

Ready to dig into snow?! Applications are officially OPEN for the 3rd Annual CSSL Snow Science School! Join us on Donner Summit Jan 13-15, 2027 for an immersive look at snow physics, observation, and modeling. 🌐 Details on the website: csslsnowschool.com ⏰ Application deadline: Nov 2nd, 2026

csslsnowschool.com

Snow Science School

A specialized snow theory & field measurement school geared toward industry professionals and new academics

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It's that time of year again! The beginning of the Water Year (October 1) means it's merch time! Which design would you like to see brought back this year? Make your voice heard in the comments.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Everyone chips in on maintenance during the summer. This week’s task? Evicting a colony of wasps that decided a tree stump near our test equipment would make a great home. 🐝 Since we’re not interested in wasp stings, we brought in a professional to handle the situation 🐻 #GoBears

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

2/2 We are still expected to see above-average temperatures during the same period, so there's some question about whether the potentially increased precipitation would be more rain or snow. #CAwx #CAwater #Snow #Weather

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Seasonal outlooks released today show an increased likelihood of above average precipitation for us December through February, which tracks well with our recent post about very strong El Niños bringing at least average conditions to the central/northern Sierra Nevada. 1/2

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

3/3 The upcoming season is still a toss up at this stage and we'll only know more once we get closer to winter.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

2/3 We can see a pretty even distribution of snowfall with 4 seasons being above median, 3 being below median, and 2 roughly at median. If you single out Very Strong El Niño years, then it looks like we could see average to above-average snowfall but our sample size is small.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

NOAA is now predicting >90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter. What does that mean for us in the Central/Northern Sierra, especially around Tahoe ? Not much. This plot shows snowfall at CSSL for each Strong or Very Strong El Niño event and median snowfall 1950-present. 1/3

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

❄ Exciting news! ❄ Our paper is out in BAMS: 'Modernization of the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory – A New Chapter in a Storied Existence.' We cover the lab's history, its unique role, our latest tech & research, key collaborators, and outreach. Check it out 👇

journals.ametsoc.org

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

(2/2) Once calibration is complete, the instruments will be reinstalled. Thanks for your patience while we make sure we have the most accurate data possible!

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

⚠️ Lab Data Update ⚠️ We're hard at work deploying new stations, analyzing data, and doing maintenance. We have removed several instruments for calibration that should take several weeks. Here's what's affected: Temp & RH Shortwave & Longwave Radiation Turbulent Fluxes (1/2)

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

4/22/26 10:30am Update: 🌎 HAPPY EARTH DAY! 🌏 We have 8.3" (21 cm) of new #snow this morning and 11.8" (30 cm) total from this storm. We're expecting another 1-2" today. Our next chance at some snow is this weekend. #weather #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

4/21/26 9:30am Update: #Snow began early this morning and we've accumulated 3.5" (9 cm). We are expecting 1-2 feet total from this storm. Right now we have moderate to heavy snowfall rates with low winds but speeds are expected to increase this afternoon. #weather #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

4/20/26 12:20pm Update: The storm that will move into our area late tonight/early tomorrow is expected to bring 9-18" (up to 2') of late-season #snow through Weds. Cold temps won't last long though as we expect to see average temps at the lab beginning on Thurs and throughout the weekend. #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

*cm conversions had typos. Here are the actual numbers: 1-day ❄️: 21.1" (53.5 cm) 2-day ❄️: 34.6" (88 cm) 3-day ❄️: 42.5" (108 cm) The numbers were right in our data but we copied them to the website wrong. Must have mushy brains from working all weekend!

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

4/13/26 9:45am Update: Plenty more #snow fell yesterday! 1-day ❄️: 21.1" (20 cm) 2-day ❄️: 34.6" (34.5 cm) 3-day ❄️: 42.5" (53.5 cm) Despite still having a below average snowpack due to the record-warm temperatures that we've had all winter, this snow will help a lot. #CAwater #weather

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

4/12/26 9:35am Update: Heavy #snow started yesterday evening and continued into the night, bringing 13.6" (34.5 cm). That brings our 2-day snow total to 21.5" (54.5 cm). Snowfall and low visibility are still present and we're expecting another 5-10" by tomorrow. #weather #CAwx

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

4/11/26 9:45am Update: We received 7.9" (20 cm) of wet, dense #snow over the last day. Our next storm, shown coming on shore in the GOES-West weather satellite imagery, will bring colder temps and more snow (18-36") to us this evening through Sunday. #weather #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

3/10/26 2:50pm Update: Cooler temps moving in means we're seeing rain change to #snow a bit earlier than expected. The biggest benefit of switching earlier is that it'll cool the ground surface, enabling more snow to stick early on and bigger accumulations. #weather #CAwx

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

4/8/2026 3:35pm Update: Winter isn't over yet! Although we're expecting rain over the next couple of days, colder temps will move in this weekend and it will change to #snow. There's currently some good agreement between models with current Fri-Sun totals around 18-24". #CAwx #weather

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

We are seeing highs in the upper 60s/low 70s.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

The plot shows snow water equivalent at the Snow Lab (black line) compared to the minimum (red line), maximum (blue line), and median (green line). Shading ranges from: min to 10th percentile (red), 10th - 30th (yellow), 30th - 70th (green), 70th - 90th (light blue), and 90th - max (dark blue).

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

3/18/26 10:25am: Our #snow water equivalent is now in the bottom 10% for this time of year. The warm temps at the lab have resulted in substantial melt over the last couple of weeks that has accelerated with the record-breaking temps that we've had in the past two days. #weather #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Melt-out is a term that we use to reference once all the snow at the site is gone.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

3/16/26 10:40 am: Record-breaking high temps are forecasted for the next several days, which will substantially accelerate snowpack melt. Given current melt and lack of #snow in the forecast, we may see melt-out as early as the first week of April, ~5 weeks earlier than normal. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

🚨 Snow Lab Big Give Alert 🚨 We’re raising funds for 2 important things: 🎓 Training the next generation of snow scientists 🚙 A much-needed 4×4 field vehicle Because snow science requires students… and occasionally a truck. ⏰ Ends tonight at 9pm ❄️ Support us: givingday.berkeley.edu/giving-day/1...

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

2/2 Certainly not ideal from a water storage perspective. Not much in the forecast in terms of precipitation, unfortunately. *SWE is the amount of water that can be obtained by melting the snowpack. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

2/26/26 10:50am: As expected, the ~1.7" increase in snow water equivalent (SWE)* from this week's rain was temporary and exited through the bottom of the snowpack. In fact, the warm storm melted some of the snowpack, so we are now at 19" rather than the 19.7" at the end of last week's snowfall. 1/2

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

2/24/26 11:50am Update: Plenty of rain coming down on that fresh snow but we don't have any flooding concerns at this time. To monitor real-time conditions across the state, check out the wonderful resources from the NWS California Nevada River Forecast Center! www.cnrfc.noaa.gov?zoom=8&lat=3...

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

*The other two being December 1970 (113") and April 1982 (118.5") with digitized records beginning in 1970.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

2/20/26 8:35 am Update: The #snow has stopped but not before giving us another 18.5" (47 cm) in the last day. That brings our 5-day total to 111" (281.5 cm), the third snowiest 5-day period on record at the lab*. Calm conditions for the next several days but a warmer storm moves in mid-week.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

The forecast for this week has been spot-on!

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

2/19/26 8:45 am Update - the atmosphere is clearly showing off: 1-day ❄️: 25.6" 2-day ❄️: 54.9" 4-day ❄️: 92.5" And in case you thought we were done… another 8–16" expected TODAY. At this point, the snowpack is basically building an extension onto the lab. Send snacks. Or a shovel. Or both. #snow

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

In the photo: our view from the aerosol lab/R&D room this morning.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

2/18/26 8:45 am Update: 1-day ❄️: 29.3" (74.5 cm) 2-day ❄️: 57.5" (146 cm) 3-day❄️ (storm total): 66.9" (170 cm) We have flurries and calm conditions currently but snowfall rates will pick up this afternoon and evening bringing another 2-3 feet by Friday morning. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

2/17/26 8:55am Update: It. Is. Dumping. We had 28.1" (71.5 cm) of #snow in the last day and we're expecting another 2-3 feet by tomorrow night. Anecdotally, the combination of low visibility, intense snowfall, and high winds have created the worst conditions since Feb 2023! #weather #water

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

2/16/26 8:35am Update: Our storm has begun and we have 9.4" (24 cm) of #snow so far with plenty more on the way! Moderate snowfall is continuing with snow-to-liquid ratios of ~12:1 - lighter and fluffier snow than we normally get! Wind and snow rates will pick up this afternoon. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

*Typo in the email. Don't travel late MONDAY, not Sunday

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

2/15/26 10:05 am: The biggest storm of the season will start tonight! Check out the forecast and expected impacts in the most recent edition of our email forecast here 👇 mailchi.mp/83c61eb794cf...

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

🚨 WEBSITE DOWN 🚨 The company that hosts our data is having a problem with their servers and our website is down as a result. The website will come back up once they're able to resolve the issue.

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

2/11/26 9:25 am Update: We had 3.3" (8.5 cm) of #snow at the 8 am measurement. Expectedly, the storm came in warm with rain and then switched to snow last night. We expect another 1-2" today. A larger storm is poised to come through next week, potentially with feet of snow. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Psst... pssst... the forecast is getting better... ❄️❄️❄️ Img: snow accumulation at the nearest model grid point to the Snow Lab

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

2/4/26 9am Update: Model ensembles are showing a shift to wet conditions beginning Monday and continuing for most of next week. We're still too far out to nail down #snow amounts but we will post updates on expected conditions as we draw nearer to the forecast window. #CAwx #weather

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

1/28/26 10am Update: We had 2.8" (7 cm) of #snow overnight, which breaks our nearly 3 week dry spell. Unfortunately, it looks like this is all we'll get for at least the next 7-10 days. Following recent melt, we are now at 54% of median snowpack and 68% of snowfall to-date. #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

1/26/26 10:35 am Update: #snow is in the forecast! It's not a ton, only 2-4" on Tuesday night/early Wednesday but it should be enough to momentarily pause the dry conditions. We haven't had snow since January 8th (18 days) and this is definitely a welcome change! #CAwx #CAwater

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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @cssl.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Only a few more days to support snow science and look awesome while doing it! Our apparel fundraiser ends Monday 1/26/26 at 8am, so be sure to get yourself an awesome t-shirt, hoodie, or hat before then! Get it here: tinyurl.com/CSSLapparel #supportscience #weather #CAwx

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