NATURAL HISTORY
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Weather
Elevations in the Sierra Nevada are so high that they effectively block moisture from the Pacific Ocean reaching the land to the east. The towns on the western slope of the Range get about one inch of rain per month in the summer and five to eight inches a month in the winter. In contrast, those in the east, receive about a half-inch in the summer and, at most, one or two inches monthly in the winter. The result is that the western slope is heavily wooded, and the eastern slope is covered in scrub plants and grass. On average, the weather of the mountain towns in California is mild in the summer and cold in the winter. The growing season ranges from 95 days at South Lake Tahoe to 226 days in Grass Valley. “Sierra Nevada" means "Snow-Covered Mountains" in Spanish. The Sierra Nevada certainly lives up to its name, recording some of the heaviest snowfalls in the world. Some snowfall records include: Snowfall in the Sierra increases with elevation. The lower foothills rarely receive measurable snow. Middle elevations receive a mix of snow and rain during the winter. In the highest elevations, mostly above 6000 feet, the majority of precipitation falls as snow. It is not unusual, in some locations, to have upwards of ten feet of snow on the ground well into the summer months. However, snow accumulation does not directly follow precipitation in the Sierra. While the greatest total precipitation occurs in the northern part of the range, the greatest snow accumulation occurs in the central and high southern parts of the range, due to higher elevations and colder temperatures which inhibit snow melt. Snow depths drop dramatically on the east side of the range due to the rain shadow effect |