After anunexpectedly pissed wintertime marked by sequent storm in California , the state ’s snowpack is now one of the highest that official have ever documented .
On Monday , California Department of Water Resources officials went to Phillips Station , just south of Lake Tahoe , to take the close - of - winter snowpack survey . They found 126.5 inches of snow profundity during the manual survey , which is a walloping 221 % of mean snow levels for this time of class , the department aver in astatement .
“ This year ’s result will go down as one of the largest snowpack years on disc in California , ” Sean de Guzman , manager of DWR ’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit , said in the release . He also noted that it may be hard to say if the measurements are formally the largest recorded , because there were fewer surveys back in the 1950s to compare to late long time .
Water resource department officials during the fourth media snow survey of the 2023 season, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 29 April 2025.Photo: Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources (Fair Use)
However , snow level answer from the statewidesnow sensor networkare higher this class than any other version since the mesh was established in the 1980s , the department said . And the Southern Sierra snowpack is especially telling this yr — it ’s currently at 300 % of its April 1 norm .
This year ’s early leap snowpack view fend in crude dividing line to the spot last yr , whenstaff launch just 2.5 inch of snow near Lake Tahoe . The average coke profundity for the end of winter is supposed to be about 5 feet , according to the department . At the clip , functionary were disturbed about the lack of snowpack , since there would n’t be enough snowmelt to replenish the dwindling water degree in state reservoir .
“ This year ’s serious storm and flooding is the latest example that California ’s climate is becoming more uttermost , ” Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth say in the press discharge . “ After the driest three years on record and devastating drought impact to communities across the state , DWR has rapidly shifted to torrent reaction and prognostication for the upcoming snowmelt . We have provided flood assistance to many communities who just a few months ago were facing severe drouth impacts . ”
Water resource officials near the Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.Photo:Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources
official are very concerned about possible flooding , especially in the Southern San Joaquin Valley surface area . To battle this , the department ’s State - Federal Flood Operations Center ( FOC ) has provided specialists to substantiate long - full term flood response planning in vulnerable area .
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