Recent storms still not enough to bring Sierra snowpack to average

PHILLIPS STATION, Calif. - The second manual snow survey of the season was conducted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) at Phillips Station on Wednesday. They measured 63 inches of snow with a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 17 inches, which is 93 percent of average at that location.

The SWE measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.

"The series of storms helped, but not enough to make up the deficient of last few months," said Sean de Guzman, Chief of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Section.

De Guzan said the average precipitation for the state was 39 percent of average from October to December, 2020. Fall was extremely dry in the whole state, especially in the Sierra Nevada, and follows last year’s below-average snow and precipitation.

"We're going to be chasing average conditions for the foreseeable future," de Guzman said, though he noted February can be a game changer with heavy snowfall amounts.

Statewide snow survey measurements reflect those dry conditions. Measurements from DWR’s electronic snow survey stations indicate that statewide the snowpack’s SWE is 12.5 inches, or 70 percent of the February 3 average, and 45 percent of the April 1 average. April 1 is typically when California’s snowpack is the deepest and has the highest SWE.

“The recent blast of winter weather was a welcome sight, but it was not enough to offset this winter’s dry start,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “While there is still a chance we will see additional storms in the coming weeks, the Department and other state agencies are preparing for the potential for a second consecutive year of dry conditions.”

On the Nevada side of the Sierra, snowpack was also measured this week. The Mt. Rose site reported 74 inches of snow with 18.1 inches SWE. Last week's storms doubled the totals but still left them about half of median for this time of year. The snow measures at 76 percent of median at Mt. Rose, 79 percent for Lake Tahoe Basin.

The weather systems have been as expected under La Niña conditions where pressure builds up off the California Coast and pushes storms into the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Northern California has seen some of that moisture with the Donner Summit snowpack at 89 percent of normal, and the further south Sequoia measurement at 46 percent of average.

"Water supply outlook is better than last week, but nowhere near out of the woods," said de Guzman. "I encourage wise water use as a daily habit."

With only a couple months remaining in California’s traditional wet season, Californians should look at ways to reduce water use at home. Each individual act of conservation makes a difference over time. Visit SaveOurWater.com to learn easy ways to save water every day.