A record-breaking summer snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is causing flood concerns for Centr

(28 Jun 2011) HEADLINE: Snow Melt Causes California Flood Concerns CAPTION: A record-breaking summer snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is causing flood concerns for Central California. (June 20) IT'S A PICTURE PERFECT DAY IN THE SIERRAS. ("The river this year is amazing because we have so much snow. In fact it was just snowing a few weeks ago. It's beautiful right now. It really is. You can ski and swim in the same day!") NEARLY 40 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN MAY...AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO MORE THAN 90 INCHES OF SNOW WAS STILL ON THE GROUND...THE MOST SNOW EVER RECORDED THIS CLOSE TO SUMMER. BUT THIS PICTURESQUE SCENE COULD SOON TURN UGLY...WHEN ALL THAT SNOW MELTS. (melting/dripping water nats) A SUMMER HEAT WAVE COULD CAUSE IT TO ALL MELT AT ONCE...AND A BIG SUMMER STORM COULD MAKE IT EVEN WORSE. ("Imagine pouring water over a sponge. If the sponge is dry, none of that water is going over. But if you soak the sponge first, it's all just going to work it's way out.") THE STAFF AT CALIFORNIA'S FLOOD OPERATIONS CENTER IS BUSY MONITORING THE SNOWMELT. BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THEY CAN DO ONCE THE STATE'S RESERVOIRS AND IRRIGATION CHANNELS FILL UP. ("There's a lot of uncertainty as well. As much as we can see the snow and we're very good at measuring it, every year's a little different." IRONICALLY JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THE STATE WAS SUFFERING FROM A DROUGHT. ("Everything is always to the extreme in California. We go from drought to major snow.") EXPERTS SAY CENTRAL CALIFORNIA NEAR FRESNO COULD FACE THE BIGGEST RISK OF FLOODING THIS SUMMER. HAVEN DALEY, ASSOCIATED PRESS, TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...