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Snowpack results are showing the California Snowpack currently sits at 63% of average.
On Tuesday, the third survey of the winter was conducted on the Phillips Station snow course in the Sierra Nevadas. Lower snow survey results, along with a lack of precipitation record set in Sacramento, shows that California reservoirs will most likely not fill up again this year."With below-average precipitation and snow up until this point, our team's latest statewide snow melt forecast are only about 66% of average," said Sean de Guzman, manager of the Snow Surveys & Water Supply Forecasting Program with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
The DWR surveys the mountains for snow periodically during the winter months, where the Sierra Nevada snowfall is imperative to replenishing California's water supply. The survey is used as the main estimate in order to better predict water levels later in the year. "This past January and February were actually the driest, consecutive January and February on record dating back over 100 years in the Sierra Nevada," de Guzman said.
Meanwhile, forecasters are predicting colder temperatures, rain and snow coming in at the end of the week.