California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is lower than it should be, spurring concerns that the state’s water supply might suffer once the dry season arrives. Despite the poor performance, the snowpack is much better than in 2015, when the state saw one of its lowest snowpacks.
Why It Matters
The Sierra Nevada snowpack provides around 30 percent of California’s water needs. In the spring, the snow melts and supplements local rivers and reservoirs to carry them through the dry summer months.
The snowpack has been above average for the past two years, which helped relieve a yearslong drought plaguing the Golden State. Much of the winter snow in 2023 and 2024 came from atmospheric rivers that brought heavy precipitation to mountainous regions. But this winter hasn’t been as prolific when it comes to snow-producing storms, sparking concerns that another dry summer might stress the state’s water supply.
What To Know
Earlier this week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) warned that winter storms during February did not completely make up for the precipitation deficit experienced in January.
Half of California’s precipitation comes in December, January and February. However, an abnormally dry January nearly plateaued the state’s snowpack progress this year.
As of Monday, the snowpack was 88 percent normal for this time of year and 73 percent for April 1, a benchmark indicating how much water the state can expect to see from snowmelt. DWR officials warned that winter storms typically begin to taper off in March.
At first glance, the numbers are cause for concern. However, they’re significantly higher than 2015, which saw the lowest March 1 snowpack statewide since 1950, a DWR spokesperson told Newsweek.
The snowpack on March 1, 2015, was only 13 percent of the average for that time of year. The performance worsened when, on April 1, surveys revealed the statewide snowpack was only 5 percent of average.
Most of California’s major reservoirs are performing better than expected for this time of year. After two back-to-back above-average snowpack years, most reservoirs have recovered after their water levels plunged during a yearslong drought. However, the reservoirs could suffer this summer once dry weather arrives if the state’s snowpack doesn’t recover.
What People Are Saying
California Department of Water Resources on X, formerly Twitter: “The likelihood California’s snowpack will be below average on April 1st increases every day it’s dry.”
California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said in a January 31 press release: “Despite a good start to the snowpack in the Northern Sierra in November and December, we can look back as recently as 2013 and 2021 to show how quickly conditions can change for the drier.”
Nemeth added, “California missed out on critical snow-building storms in January which has pushed the state down below average for this time of year. While we are excited to see some storm activity in the coming days, sustained periods of no precipitation can dry the state out very quickly. For each day it’s not snowing or raining, we are not keeping up with what we need.”
What Happens Next
According to a six- to 10-day outlook from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, much of California is expecting below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation through March 7. However, the DWR is concerned that the incoming month won’t bring enough storms to aid in the snowpack’s complete recovery.
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