Minarets has had their first snow day in at least four years and this anomaly had many pros and cons for students, teachers, and parents alike. Fortunately, it was surely good for California as a whole, but when O'Neals and our surrounding communities get weather such as this there are precautions that have to be taken. One of these precautions are snow days.These days are a rare occurrence, but more than welcomed by students because who doesn't love a free day off of school? Of course, this happiness was results of the Chawanakee School District wanting to keep students and staff off the roads when conditions may be dangerous. Conditions may be dangerous but this type of weather is appreciated for the water it brings for the future.
According to the Associated Press, the statewide snowpack is estimated at 136 percent of normal, a good sign for the state's water supply. This snow melts in the Spring and runs off the mountains, entering the state's aqueduct system. This is a welcomed change compared to the last few years of severe drought. As reported by NASA, California saw the lowest amount of rainfall 2014, which hadn't been seen since 1885. Researchers found that the low snowpack of April 2015 was “unprecedented in the context of the past 500 years.” Thankfully, we have had an exceptionally wet winter that doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon.