Snowpack near Lake Tahoe measured at 83% of average while state comes in at 59%

PHILLIPS STATION, Calif. - The fourth manual snow survey of the year was conducted today at Phillips Station, southwest of Lake Tahoe. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recorded 49.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 21 inches, which is 83 percent of average for this location. The SWE measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.

Measurements from DWR’s electronic snow survey stations indicate that statewide the snowpack’s SWE is 16.5 inches, or 59 percent of average for the date. April 1 is typically when California’s snowpack is the deepest and has the highest SWE.

The snowpack at Phillips Station is an anomaly, according to Sean de Guzman, the DWR Chief of the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecast Section who conducted the measurement. The rest of the state has much lower amounts of snow.

The state's reservoirs are low with Lake Oroville at 53 percent of average and Lake Shasta at 65 percent of the average.

This winter is tied for the third driest n record, even with the decent snowpack in the Central Sierra. There was more snow than rain this year due to colder temperatures, leaving the south out of the equation without much of either.

"The next few weeks are critical to watch to see how much snowmelt enters reservoirs and how much is absorbed into the ground," said de Guzman. He said that last year's snowmelt was 60 percent of average and this year will be about the same in California.

April 1 is the most important measurement of the year as its usually the peak amount of snow for the season and they can see the situation before it starts to melt off. DWR uses the data to forecast water that will runoff as snowpack melts and start to fill rivers and reservoirs. The snow from the Sierra accounts for about 30 percent of California’s fresh water supply in an average year. For Water Year 2021, the snowpack in the Northern and Central Sierra peaked at 70 percent of average, however rain is below 50 percent of average, which ties this year for the third driest year on record.

“While there is some snow on the ground today at Phillips Station, there is no doubt California is in a critically dry year. State agencies, water suppliers and Californians are more prepared than ever to adapt to dry conditions and meet the challenges that may be ahead,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “With climate change impacting how precipitation falls in California, ongoing water efficiency and long-term efforts like recycling water, capturing stormwater, and planting water-friendly landscapes are essential to securing California’s water future.”

There will be one final manual measurement at Phillips Station in May.