California’s snowpack level has fallen to well below average after a good start to the year.
A dry January throughout the state plummeted the overall snowpack average on Friday to 65% of average for Jan. 31.
The big picture: The California Department of Water Resources reported at the start of the year that the statewide snowpack was 108% of average for that date, following large storms in November and December in the Northern Sierra region.
- But subpar precipitation in the rest of the state throughout the end of last year and the beginning of this year has put California in an alarming situation moving forward
Zoom in: The Northern Sierra region remains in the healthiest position, with a reading of 89% of average for Jan. 31.
- The Central Sierra region is much lower at 58% of average, while the Southern Sierra region is only at 47% of average.
- California’s snowpack is currently 55% of the April 1 average – the date when the snowpack is typically at its greatest.
State of play: Despite the low snowpack, nearly all of California’s reservoirs are storing more water than they normally do at this time of year.
- Lake Shasta, which is the largest reservoir in California, is 76% full and currently at 118% of its historic average for this date.
Why it matters: California’s snowpack is a key metric in how the State Water Project allocates water to communities and farms later in the year.
What they’re saying: “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,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “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.”
