Snowpack survey leaves experts cautiously optimistic about drought relief
Much to the delight of skiers and snowboarders, California has entered one of the snowiest starts to winter in decades, however, officials and experts are not sure that this is a sign of any drought relief.
"Our snowpack is actually off to one of its best starts in the past 40 years, however, it doesn't mean we're out of the woods quite yet," said Surveys Chief Sean de Guzman. "We must continue to remain vigilant."
In its first survey of the year, the California Department of Water Resources reported that the statewide snowpack is at 174% of the historical average — the third-best measurement in the past 40 years. For perspective, we had an impressive snowpack last January as well, at 160% of the average.
However, it was followed by the three driest months ever recorded in California. By April 1, which is typically when the snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas is supposed to be at its peak, the survey recorded a snowpack of 38% of its typical average — the third-lowest in the survey's history.
In the release, officials said that this year's result bore a striking resemblance to the 2021 survey, where the state saw strong December snow totals only to get the driest totals for the next three months.
"Big snow totals are always welcome, but we still have a long way to go before the critical April 1 total," said de Guzman. "It's always great to be above average this early in the season, but we must be resilient and remember what happened last year. If January through March of 2023 [turns] out to be similar to last year, we would still end the water year in severe drought with only half of an average year's snowpack."
Snowpack is snow on the ground in mountainous areas that persists until the arrival of warmer weather, according to the National Geographic Society. Melting snowpack is an important source of water for many areas.
Experts say mountain runoff is a good sign for the drought, but we should remain cautiously optimistic.
"It's January, we're still very, very excited about these storms rolling through," said Dr. Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist and manager of the Central Sierra Snow Lab. "But it's going to be March or April before we can start making determinations about how it's going to impact our drought, and whether or not we can ease off of our water conservation."
Schwartz says there are some early signs that California could fare better this year. The Southern Sierra has lots of snow and more storms are expected.
According to the DWR, California is expected to see more rain and snow throughout the next seven days. However, these same storms could cause significant flooding to some areas.
"The significant Sierra snowpack is good news but unfortunately these same storms are bringing flooding to parts of California," said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. "This is a prime example of the threat of extreme flooding during a prolonged drought as California experiences more swings between wet and dry periods brought on by our changing climate."
Typically, the Sierra snowpack provides California with 30 percent of its water needs.
Check daily California snowfall and snow depth at the National Centers for Environmental Information.
