Sierra Snowpack Bumps Up To 118% Of Average
Sonora, CA — The winter storms over the recent months have boosted California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, which accounts for about 30% of the state’s water supply.
The UC Berkeley Sierra Snow Lab reports this morning that the Snow Water Equivalent (amount of water that can be obtained from the snowpack) is now up to 118% of the average for the date. Snow Water Equivalent is the figure most watched by water managers. It is also 99% of the April 1st average, which is the date when the snowpack typically reaches its peak.
Over the past week, 75.2 inches of fresh snow was recorded at the UC Berkeley Field Station in the Lake Tahoe area. The water year got off to a slow start but was boosted by a fresh round of storms and atmospheric rivers that arrived over the past couple of months. The next Department of Water Resources manual snowpack survey is scheduled for April 1.
