Fresno saw a dry February. Here’s where it stands on the all-time list

Fresno experienced the sixth-driest February since the numbers started being recorded in 1885, according to the National Weather Service.

Dry statewide weather is leading to a rapidly eroding Sierra snowpack, as borne out by a recently recorded 35 inches of snow depth, according to the state Department of Water Resources. That means a snow water equivalent of 16 inches, which is 68 percent of average for March.

Only .04 of an inch of rain was recorded at the NWS recording station at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in February. That’s a very dry month, but it doesn’t top the driest on record, noted on the first year data was recorded, when not a drop fell in 1885. Other drier months included 1889, with .02 of an inch and there was just a trace of moisture in 1912, 1964 and 2020.

For comparison, in 2000, the region experienced its wettest February, with 6.12 inches of rain.

March will be a wetter month, promised David Spector, a meteorologist with the weather service in Hanford. He said between a quarter- and a half-inch of rain will fall by Thursday night. The showers will be accompanied by much cooler temperatures of about 50 degrees during the weekend.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15 percent compared to 2020 levels. Regionally, the Northern, Central and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 59 percent to 66 percent of average for this date, impacting watersheds across the state.

This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 11:56 AM.