California’s vital snowpack has risen to 10% higher than normal in this year’s final scheduled survey by the state Department of Water Resources on Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was on hand for the traditional manual survey at Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe, where a snow depth of 64 inches was measured — 13% greater than normal for that location.
Meanwhile, the average of automated readings from130 stations across the state was reported at 10% above normal.
It’s the second year in a row that California’s snowpack has exceeded normal, and the focus now shifts to forecasting the spring water runoff.
“It’s great news that the snowpack was able to catch up in March from a dry start this year. This water year shows once again how our climate is shifting, and how we can swing from dry to wet conditions within a season,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth.
“These swings make it crucial to maintain conservation while managing the runoff,” she added. “Capturing and storing what we can in wetter years for drier times remains a key priority.”
The Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs. Its natural ability to store water is why the snowpack is often referred to as the state’s “frozen reservoir.”
Thanks to a wet winter, reservoir levels statewide are already 16% above average for this time of year, and the State Water Project has increased projected allocations.
The San Diego County Water Authority said Tuesday that two wet winters combined with regional investments and conservation mean “San Diego County has enough water to meet the region’s needs for 2024 and the foreseeable future.”
