Photo by stuartpalley | Burned trees were dusted by snow in California's San Bernardino National Forest during the first winter after the 2015 Lake Fire tore through the forest. The blaze started in early summer, an indicator of extreme drought conditions. That year's fire season was active, as parched trees and those damaged by bark beetles led to megafires across the Sierra Nevada range. In California’s current winter season, a smattering of cold storms recently brought rain and snow to the Sierra Nevada, but long-range forecasts show a shortage of water for the state, which is locked in a near-constant battle for regular water levels in its reservoirs and snowpack. Currently 100% of the state is in some form of drought, with over two-thirds of the state considered to have “severe” levels. #SierraNevada #CArain #snowpack #climate