Climatologist: Some folks in Nevada are using the “D” word

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 11:56 a.m.

Last month's unusually heavy Sierra snowfall got the new water year off to a good start after a fairly dry 12 months that state Climatologist John James said has people in some parts of Nevada using the "D" word.

"The Walker River area was particularly hard hit by the dryness this year as most of the region logged less than half the water year normal," James said. "As far as they are concerned, it is a drought."

But he said a drought designation means that the water below the surface is drying up and so far it's only the surface water that's disappearing.

"Still, if you add this to unusually high evaporation rates and plant and crop growth has been difficult in that region," he said.

The Walker River drainage through the Mason Valley area southeast of Carson City was one of the drier spots in an Oct. 1-Sept. 30 water year that was generally below average statewide, James said. Yerington ended the period with 1.77 inches of moisture and Hawthorne, 1.84 inches - both about one-third of normal.

The Sierra fared better, with Mount Rose getting 46.6 inches of precipitation or 84 percent and Marlette Lake at 82 percent with 29 inches.

In southern Nevada, Las Vegas came in at 60 percent with 2.54 inches in the 12-month period while Lee Canyon on Mount Charleston just to the west had 102 percent.

By contrast, Las Vegas received three times its normal October precipitation last month with 0.92 inches while Reno picked up just 0.04 of an inch.

Reno also was warmer than normal in October - 1 degree above average - for its 18th straight warmer-than average month, James said.

Elko was well below average at 4 degrees cooler than normal, while the rest of the state pretty much held to the norm, including Las Vegas at 1 degree cooler than average.