SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — California's weather turned largely dry in January and has left the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack below average for this time of year.
The California Department of Water Resources says measurements Thursday show the statewide water content at 72% of average for the date. The survey found the snowpack at 40.5 inches deep with a water content of 14.5 inches.
At the beginning of January, the snow water content was 90% of average following a stormy December that gave the mountain range a promising start to the snowpack, which supplies about 30% of the state's water.
Well above average or below readings can be helpful to officials, but often, the early season averages will change drastically over time to the very important April survey. Officials say the long-range weather outlook is tending toward dryness, but they note that reservoir storage is in good shape after a very wet 2019.
“After a good start in December, January saw dry conditions that added little to the Sierra snowpack,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said in a press release. “As climate change continues to impact California’s snowpack, we look to actions described in the recently released California Water Resilience Portfolio to meet the challenges brought by weather variability to California’s water supply.”
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