SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2024 After a slow start, snowpack reaches bit more than ‘normal’

Sierra snowpack hits 111% of longterm average

Winter came in like a lamb and went out like a lion.

After a wobbly and weak start, the snowstorms came storming into the Eastern Sierra over the last three months to deliver a snowpack that reached 104% of “normal” for April 1, according to the latest snow surveys and data from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The snowpack just topped the long-term average for water equivalent of 22.7 inches when it reached 23.5 inches on April 2.

This year’s “average” snowpack seemed sort of weak compared to last year’s record setting snowpack which inundated the Eastern Sierra with 301% of average and a whopping 68 inches of water equivalent.

The statewide Sierra snowpack hit 111% of the long-term average, a considerable drop from last year’s record setting soggy snow year.

Minimal snowfall in November and December made water managers a bit nervous. Mammoth Mountain, for example, recorded a meager 26 inches of snow before the New Year.

A string of storms and several large “atmospheric rivers” delivered snow and relieved some tensions in January and February, with Mammoth Mountain getting 72 inches of the white stuff in January and a hefty 133 inches in February. That meant there weren’t massive snow dances seeking to generate a March Miracle to salvage the snowpack. But whatever voodoo got done did a good job, with 95 inches of snow hitting Mammoth Mountain in March.

As those storms dropped snow, the LADWP snow line on its snowpack chart climbed steadily into “normal” territory. The April 1 snowpack readings are used by water managers to estimate runoff and water supplies in the Sierra.

The Northern Sierra region had the largest snowpack this year, with 124% of average. The Central Sierra saw 107% of

average. The Southern Sierra accomplished a rare feat by hitting the average snow levels right on the money, with snowpack at 100% of average.

Also hitting the 100% of average bullseye was the LADWP snow pillow on Mammoth Pass.

Going above average were Big Pine Creek, at 128% of average, and Cottonwood Lakes, at 113%.

Nudging close to the normal mark were Sawmill, at 94% and Rock Creek and Gem Pass, both at 90%.

Rainfall was steady but not overwhelming. The rain year runs until Oct. 1, so there is still time to hit an “average” rain year. So far, the wettest reading came from Bishop, at 84% of average, with 5 inches of rain. Big Pine, with 6.4 inches, was at 72% of average. Cain Ranch, at 60%, Long Valley at 54%, and Independence at 48% are lagging a bit in the rain race.

Not so Los Angeles. A string of strong storms sparked debris flows and flooding in SoCal this spring. Los Angles has endured 20.6 inches of rain, putting it at 127% of average to date.