In the wild and wondrous year known numerically as 1500, people still believed the sun revolved exclusively around this sacred earth. To put it lightly, it was a great time to be pretty dumb. Sadly, many Californiaresidents are getting a small taste of that distinctly 1500 vibe thanks to their increasingly historic (in a bad way) drought.
A recent study, published in Nature Climate Changeearlier this month, reveals that the state's profound dry spell is actually the worst in at least 500 years. These estimates are based on the Sierra Nevada mountain range's snowpack levels, which are currently in their lowest state since roughly 1500. To place this firmly in perspective, the range only just reached five percent of its average annual levels of snowpack.
Snowfall in those mountains accounts for as much as a third of the state's entire water supply, according to Mother Jones. These figures depict another profound setback for California, as no level of progress with regards to an ongoing drought are even expected until it starts to snow again. This means the state's struggle to restore water will likely continue, surely resulting in continued difficulties for residents.
