Sierra snowpack at 185 percent of average
With snowdrifts rising as high as several stories, California water surveyors trekked into the wintry Sierra on Wednesday to confirm the most snow the 400-mile-long mountain range has seen in decades.
The ritual first-of-themonth measurement found snowpack at Phillips Station, south of Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, at 179 percent of average for the date — a reading that required state officials to stick their long cylindrical gauge much deeper than usual into the blanket of icy white.
While the lofty measurement at the station came as no surprise, since a network of realtime sensors put Sierrawide snowpack at 185 percent of average on Wednesday morning, the number remains extraordinary after historically low readings during five years of drought.
“We’re up in the two to three, three or four biggest snow accumulations for March,” said Frank Gehrke, snow survey chief for the California Department of Water Resources. “It bodes extremely well for runoff ... and is a good indicator for good surface water supplies as we head into the spring and summer.”
Sierra snow constitutes nearly one-third of the state’s water, with the melt-off pouring down creeks and rivers into dozens of foothill reservoirs. Lackluster measurements in prior years often meant perilously low water supplies.
The meadow at Phillips Station, where the monthly manual survey has been performed since 1941 off Highway 50 near the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, was nearly bare two years ago at the height of California’s drought. On Wednesday, 112.7 inches of snow covered the ground.
Wednesday’s exercise served as a warm-up for next month’s final reading. On April 1, snowpack is typically at its peak and provides a critical indicator of how much water Californians can expect for the remainder of the year. Both the state-run and federal water projects will adjust their allocations for cities and towns accordingly.
Gov. Jerry Brown, who has yet to declare an official end to the California drought and lift statewide conservation rules, said he will re-evaluate his position once the April numbers are in.
Already, though, the huge March snow levels exceed what typically arrives all season — especially on and around the Sierra’s tallest peaks to the south. There, snowpack on Wednesday measured 201 percent of average for the date.
“We’ve busted through April 1 values pretty much at all snow courses throughout the state,” Gehrke said.
Both the southern and central Sierra are tracking close to 1983, when snowpack reached the highest levels ever recorded, Gehrke said.
Reservoirs beyond the Sierra are also benefiting from this winter’s wet weather. The exception is some parts of Southern California, which haven’t seen the rampant run of storms that has hit the north.
Groundwater, which typically provides about 40 percent of the state’s water, also remains an issue. Massive pumping during the drought dried up many aquifers, creating deficits that will take several wet years to fill.
Already, the huge March snow levels exceed what typically arrives all season.