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The Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on January 2 and while the amount of snow is promising, state officials say “we have a long way until April.”
The manual survey last week recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 9 inches, which is 91 percent of average for this location. Statewide, the snowpack is 108 percent of average for this date.
“While our snowpack looks good now, we have a long way until April when our water supply picture will be more complete,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Extreme shifts between dry and wet conditions are continuing this winter and if the past several years are any indication, anything could happen between now and April and we need to be prepared.”
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the Sierra Nevada indicate that the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 10.7 inches, or 108 percent of average for this date, compared to 28 percent on this date last year.
California has seen this pattern before. In both 2013 and 2022, the January snowpack was well above average thanks to December storm activity, only for dry conditions to take over the rest of the winter, quickly erasing early season snow totals and continuing existing drought conditions across the state.
“We are fortunate to have had several solid snow-producing atmospheric river systems so far this season,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Andy Reising. “The fall was extremely dry, so our healthy snow totals are thanks to a handful of big storm systems in November and late December. But to finish the year where we need to be, we will still need additional snow building at a regular pace throughout the winter.”
Major reservoirs statewide are currently 121 percent of average thanks to two consecutive years of above average snowpack conditions, which occurred after the driest three-year period on record in California.
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs. Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California’s “frozen reservoir.” Data from these snow surveys and forecasts produced by DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit are important factors in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
The next snow survey is tentatively scheduled for February 3.
For California’s current hydrological conditions, visit https://cww.water.ca.gov
