April Snowpack Just Shy Of Average
DWR officials conducting the April manual snowpack survey at the Phillips Station in Lake Tahoe
Sonora, CA— The April manual snowpack survey is just shy of average, and a new storm system may help boost the numbers.
On Friday, the Department of Water Resources made its trek to the Phillips Station in Lake Tahoe to conduct a manual snow reading. According to Andy Reising, manager of the Department of Water Resources’ snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit, the statewide snowpack measured 90% of average, just ahead of the expected peak on April 1 before the sun starts melting the snow more quickly than it can accumulate, sending water into creeks and streams as storms taper off into the spring.
“Ninety percent is really pretty good. I’m feeling generally positive,” shared Reising.
As earlier reported here, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the western slope of the northern Sierra Nevada, from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening.
Reising warned that Southern California, including Los Angeles, has had significantly less precipitation than normal, although the northern and central regions of the state are flush with water. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that moderate to severe drought has returned to most of Southern California.
“We know floods and droughts can happen at any time. It is the California way of life to expect that,” Reising said.
Following a grueling drought that forced drastic reductions in water use in cities and on farms, two rainy winters have left nearly all of California’s reservoirs over their historic capacity. Click here to see the current reservoir conditions. Once the storms blow through this weekend and early next week, DWR officials report an update will be provided on Tuesday.
