Sierra snowpack at an encouraging 136% of average

The first snowpack survey of the season was taken Wednesday in Phillips, showing the snowpack us at 136% of average with a water content of 16.3 inches.

"This is encouraging but not where we'd like to be," said Frank Gehkre, the Chief Snow Surveyor for the California Department of Water Resources. "This is clearly much better than last year at this time."

One year ago the survey showed the snowpack at 47% of average.

The anticipated El Nino isn't expected to hit California until January. Gehkre said that the strength and how long it lasts will be critical for the state's reservoirs.o
"We need a good, solid production of snow into May to make a difference," said Gehkre.

If the snowpack melted today, much of the 16.3" of water in it would be absorbed into the dirt which hasn't had needed water over the past two winters. To move past the current California drought the Sierra Nevada needs a good snowpack and not just rain.

"What will hurt us is many months of no snowfall," said Gehkre. The past two winters have seen very dry months in January and February, something he, and others watching the water in reservoirs don't want to see again this year.

"El Nino is not a slam dunk," said Gehkre when asked if the drought could be over. "We still need a solid four months of snow."

During the 1983 El Nino there was a large snowpack in the Sierra, at 200% of normal. In contrast, the 1997 El Nino was all rain. Reservoirs will fill with rain, but the snowpack is needed to store water into the summer.

The January 1 snowpack survey results of the last 14 years:

2002 - 162%
2003 - 162%
2004 - 142%
2005 - 159%
2006 - 117%
2007 - 61%
2008 - 59%
2009 - 78%
2010 - 87%
2011 - 209%
2012 - 20%
2013 - 137%
2014 - 20%
2015 - 47%

Dozens of newscasters and cameramen from television stations from the Bay Area and Sacramento were at Philips for the first of the monthly snow measurements.