Around the country, people rely on these piles of snow for their water supply. What is a snowpack, and how else does it impact you?
California's second snowpack survey of season saw significant depletions of crucial mountain snow levels compared to the season's first survey at the beginning of the year.
The manual survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains by the California Department of Water Resources yielded 22.6 inches of snow depth with a snow water equivalent of 8 inches. That's 46% of average for that location.
Statewide measurements averaged out to 65%.
The numbers are strikingly low after an exceptionally high reading to start the year of 108% above average.
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"The results of today's survey show just how quickly conditions can change," CADWR said in a statement on twitter. "Although there is storm activity in the forecast, it will take a lot of precipitation to make up for the lost time in January."
During a press conference Friday morning, DWR Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Andy Reising did add Friday is the first day among "an upcoming week of storms landing on the Northern half of the state bring a week of significant precipitation and push the state back towards average... these storms will not affect Southern California much though."
DWR today conducted the second Phillips Station snow survey of the season. The manual survey recorded 22.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 8 inches, which is 46 percent of average for this location. Statewide, the snowpack is 65 percent of average for this… pic.twitter.com/Ig6PKXAEm7
— California Department of Water Resources (@CA_DWR) January 31, 2025
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Snow water equivalent is the amount of water in the snowpack once it melts. That water then flows into the state's water system reservoirs and channels. Often referred to as California's frozen reservoir, the snow packs supply about 30% of California’s water needs.
The years 2023 and 2024 both saw considerably above average snowpack filling key water reservoirs at 121% at the start of the month. Those record years also came after two of the driest years of record across the state.
The state's two largest reservoirs, Lake Oroville and the San Luis Reservoir, currently sit at 126% and 101% above average for this time of year.
This year's SoCal wildfires spread quickly after a dry start to the water year in the region.
Despite some recent rain, SoCal is well below average for yearly precipitation. In preparation for upcoming rain next week, 30 watershed protection specialists have been deployed to assist with possible debris flows. An additional 400 members of the California Conservation Corps have also been working to protect watersheds around burn scars to best mitigate the risk of debris flows.
Burn scars are sections of land that have been cleared for vegetation by wildfires. These pockets are significantly more prone to flooding, erosion, and mudslides when exposed to water.
Data from the measured snowpack helps CADWR accurately model future water supply forecasts.
