California's Snowpack Reaches Historic Levels, Bringing Mixed Consequences.

California's snowpack is on course to be either the largest or second largest since modern records began in 1950, with some areas seeing nearly double or triple the historical average for this point in the year. While the snow has led to the lifting of some drought restrictions, water managers are also preparing for the possibility of catastrophic flooding this spring. The amount of snow that melts and ends up in rivers is becoming trickier to predict due to global warming, with factors such as the timing of the thaw and soil moisture levels playing a role.