Late Season Storms Help California’s Snowpack but More is Needed

A relatively dry February gave way to March storms helping to raise the northern Sierra average snowpack to 102 percent.  And while the southern Sierra has reached only 80 percent of its historical average both ends of the Sierras are faring far better than a year ago.  The statewide snowpack has now reached 93 percent of its average.

But the California drought is still with us in most parts of the state. Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, recently reiterated essentially the same message he delivered in March: “While for many parts of the state there will be both significant gains in both reservoir and stream flow, the effects of previous dry years will remain for now.”

Californians had been lead to believe that the 2015-16 El Nino would deliver significantly more rain and snow than has occurred. El Nino was predicted to deliver above average precipitation in Southern California; predictions for Northern California were more uncertain.  By-and-large the opposite has occurred with Northern California receiving more impact from El Nino.

Tim Bardsley, National Weather Service Senior Hydrologist for the Reno office, shared that, “No two El Ninos are the same.  It’s been an unusual one for sure.  It did not behave as anticipated.”

Further complicating the California drought this year is the quality of the snow.  Gehrke and his survey team found the snow at 58.4 inches deep at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada, east of Sacramento, but the water content measured 26 inches, just 97 percent of the long-term average. Statewide the snowpack’s water content is 24.4 inches, 87 percent of its average.

The California Department of Water Resources stated that traditionally the snowpack supplies approximately 30 percent of California’s water need following the spring and summer snow melt.  The greater the snowpack water content, the better for California’s reservoirs and the residents they help to serve.

Ongoing updates for snowpack, reservoir storage and water levels can be found as follows:

Electronic snowpack readings can be found at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action

For earlier readings, click the calendar icon below the map, select a date, then Refresh Data.

Detailed information on major reservoir storage is found here:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action

Water Year 2016 precipitation is found at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow_rain.html