It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...

What's the weather outlook for the Sierra? Depending on your point of view, things are looking up, or maybe starting to look really down.

First of all, the good news: we've had a ton of rain this fall already (1/3 of our normal rainfall before the end of November!) and that bodes well for the rest of this winter. Here's a story, in the LA Times, that spells it out:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-northern-sierra-nevada-precipitation-20161129-story.html

But if you take a longer view, the picture isn't so pretty. We may be seeing the beginning of a prolonged and deep drought for the next eighty years. Here's THAT story, from a climate researcher at UCLA:

http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/11/28/66446/sierra-snowpack-could-drop-50-by-the-end-of-the-ce/

If nothing else, the two stories should encourage you to get out and enjoy the Sierra now...and next summer...while it is still as beautiful as it is.