Existing comment:
In the Rainshadow of the Sierra
As storm clouds cross the Sierra Nevada, towering peaks catch their moisture, blanketing the high country with rain and snow. While the average annual precipitation in the Sierra is 26 inches, the Mono Basin receives only 10 inches of moisture yearly due to the rainshadow's effect.
High evaporation rates also help to create the desert conditions of the Mono Basin. For example, warm, dry summers evaporate nearly 48 inches of moisture from Mono Lake's surface every year. |