The western states in the US – California, Oregon and Washington – are dealing with a major winter storm this week. A foot of snow has fallen in some places in the last 24 hours in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
More snow showers are expected in the higher regions of the three states.
California has had two dry winters that have resulted in exceptional drought. That increases the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the summer and fall.
Although the drought is not yet over, the heavy snowfall is helping to replenish water reservoirs. “We weren’t counting on a wet winter,” said Andrew Schwartz, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. “But it’s a pleasant surprise. It looks like the western US is getting some help.”
The winter storm causes many problems on the road. Several highways and mountain passes are closed, and people are advised not to use the road. Also, some 50,000 people in California have been without power since Christmas Day.