‘Average is awesome’: California pleased with result of critical snowpack survey

On Tuesday morning California officials trekked into the mountains to share some exciting and unusual news: the state’s snowpack measurement is just about average. Across the state, the snowpack came in at roughly 110% – a measurement that is exceedingly rare in a changing climate.

The fourth survey of the year, conducted at the beginning of April, is considered one of the most crucial. It serves as an indicator for how the state’s water supply will fare through the drier, warmer seasons ahead. The snowpack acts as a water savings account for the state, supplying roughly 30% of California’s water and slowly refilling reservoirs, pumping rivers and streams and wetting soils during the dry, warm seasons as it melts. April typically marks the shift out of the precipitation season, which is why this snowpack measurement carries so much weight.

“Average is awesome,” Karla Nemeth, the director of the California department of water resources said, flanked by the governor, Gavin Newsom, and other officials in front of the picturesque slopes covered in white. “We have had some pretty big swings in the last couple years but average may be becoming a less and less common feature of snowpack in California.”

The manual survey conducted at Philips Station in the Sierra Nevada showed 64in of stacked snow, or about 113% of average for this location. As the threat of increasing extremes on both sides of the hydrological spectrum loom large, these “normal” numbers are considered a cause for celebration.

A smaller snowpack showcases the risks of scarcity and drought that may be looming in seasons ahead. One that is large, like last year’s, has the potential for floods and slides as the weather warms. But at just about average, “we are sitting in a good spot”, said Dr Andrew Schwartz, the lead scientist for Central Sierra Snow Laboratory. “That means we can carry forward the benefits of last season for another year.”

The snow measurement in 2023 was alarmingly large. Last year’s April measurement came in at 237% of average, after the state suffered some of the driest weather in its history. “These extremes are becoming the new reality and that new reality requires a new approach and a new sophistication in terms of the way we address and manage our water,” Newsom said during the press conference on Tuesday morning.

Newsom joined water officials after the manual measurement to highlight that the state is taking key steps to plan for a more precarious future, improving the resiliency of water infrastructure, engaging more deeply with Indigenous leaders on sustainability and increasing the flexibility of regulatory systems among them. The 2023 plan, announced on Tuesday, adds to a blueprint that has evolved over the decades, updated every five years.

“By 2040, in a matter of years,” the governor said, “scientists say we will be living with about 10% less water.” He added that officials are exploring desalination, more storm water capture, water recycling and other strategies to better use what is available.

The April measurement came after a slow start to the season, when rain totals outpaced snow, leading water managers and scientists to worry that the state might see a “snow drought”. But with the help from some strong, cold storms, the snowpack bulked up quickly at the start of the year, a trend Schwartz said is starting to become the new normal.

Now managers will be looking closely at temperatures, which will determine how quickly the snow melts. Even with a strong spring snowpack, a fast melt-off could leave less water available in the system to capture and store.

Changes fueled by the climate crisis have created new complications when it comes to planning, especially be