Midway through water year, Nevada precipitation a mishmash

Tom Gardner

Thursday, April 1, 1999 | 4:15 a.m.

RENO, Nev. -- Midway through the October-September water year and at the end of the traditional snow season in the Sierra, this winter's trend is more pronounced than ever.

It's wet in the mountains and dry everywhere else, according to Climatologist John James.

"The 1998-1999 water year now has six months in the book and there's a definite trend, one many people are not aware of," James said Thursday. "They look at the Sierra and think it's been wet, but it hasn't been."

While Glenbrook is at 110 percent of normal and Marlette Lake is the wettest spot in the state at 130 percent, Reno's six-month total is 70 percent of average and Yerington stands at a dismal 35 percent.

"It's driest in the south. Amargosa Valley has received 0.26 of an inch in the last six months and Overton got 0.33 of an inch since October, about 15 percent of average," he said.

March numbers pretty much reflect the season so far. Reno's 0.11 of an inch of moisture was about one-fifth of normal. The 0.1 of an inch in Winnemucca fell far short of the average 0.78 inch, Ely's 0.23 inch was shy of the mark by 0.73 inch and Elko was down 0.68 of an inch at 0.28 of an inch.

But for dry, it was all Las Vegas, with just a trace in a month that usually gets 0.42 of an inch. It's at 25 percent for the year.

"March was much drier than normal statewide with temperatures averaging near the normal," he said.

Reno was about 1 degree above average for the month, Ely was 1.6 degrees warmer, Winnemucca was off 0.8 degree. Las Vegas showed the greatest swing with an average for the month of 60.5 degrees, 4.2 degrees warmer than the norm.