Snow Survey Not Good News

The recent wet weather did little to dent California’s record drought as it pushes into its third consecutive year, according to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). Manual and electronic readings today recorded the statewide snowpack’s water content at only 12 percent of average for this time of winter.

DWR Spokesperson Frank Gehrke says, “We had water content, the critical factor of 1.4 inches and that represents about 7% of its long term average.”

Gehrke adds today’s reading is lower than what was measured in 1977, but its not the lowest level on record. That was in 1963 when the level was 0%. The northern and central Sierra snowpack provides about a third of California’s water supply.

The DWR will conduct manual snow surveys from January thru May. One of the main measurement locations is off Highway 50 in the Lake Tahoe area near Echo Summit.

Click here for an earlier story on the first snowpack reading.