Promising Snowpack Start, More Storms Needed

California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Andy Reising conducts the first media snow survey of the 2025 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken January 2, 2025.   Nick Shockey / California Department of Water Resources

Sonora, CA – Noting that the fall was extremely dry except for a handful of big storm systems in November and late December, state water officials caution that more storms are needed to keep the state’s water supplies flowing properly.

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted today’s first manual reading of the 2025 snowpack season at the Phillip Station in Lake Tahoe in the eastern Sierra Nevada.

“While our snowpack looks good now, we have a long way until April when our water supply picture will be more complete,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Extreme shifts between dry and wet conditions are continuing this winter, and if the past several years are any indication, anything could happen between now and April, and we need to be prepared.”

The manual survey recorded a snow depth of 24 inches and a snow-water equivalent of 9 inches, which is 91 percent of the average for this location.

“As of right now, I am feeling OK, but if we don’t get more storms, we’ll need a progression of monthly storms to keep going because otherwise, we could end up under average by the end of the year,” stated DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Andy Reising, adding, “Feeling good today, but we need to see some more storms come.”

The survey also found that the south has been dry, while the state’s northern half has seen a series of storms.

“Precipitation is above average in the northern part of the state, average to slightly below average in the central part of the state, and well below average, zero to 20 or 30 percent in the southern part of the state,” shared Reising.

DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations throughout the Sierra Nevada indicate that the statewide snowpack’s snow-water equivalent is 108 percent of the average for this date. Last year it was 28 percent, but the year ended with a slightly above-average snowpack. Four snow surveys are typically done in January through April of each year and, if necessary, in May, near the first of each month at Phillips Station. The next survey is scheduled for February 3. For a look at the major state reservoir levels, click here.