Dry January drops California snowpack "well below average" despite strong start, DWR says
Despite getting off to a strong start, California's snowpack has dropped "well below average" after a dry January put a dent into the early season recording, state water officials said Friday.
On Jan. 1, the California Department of Water Resources conducted its first snow survey of the season at the Phillips Station, which is located at about 6,800 feet in elevation in El Dorado County. At the time, the statewide snowpack was at 108 percent of average thanks to large storms in late 2024.
The DWR conducted its second survey Friday as it was snowing. Water officials said the statewide snowpack is now at 65 percent of average. They recorded an average snow depth of 10.5 inches statewide.
"California missed out on critical snow-building storms in January which has pushed the state down below average for this time of year," DWR Director Karla Nemeth said.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported earlier this week that it went more than three weeks with no measurable precipitation. The lab reported Monday that it had received about 1.5 inches of precipitation, making it the seventh driest January so far.
Despite a dry January, the northern Sierra range is near average due to the late 2024 storms. The central Sierra is at 58 percent of average and the southern Sierra is under 50 percent of average for this time of the year, according to the DWR.
As January comes to a close, a storm has moved in and is expected to drop several inches of rain and snow across Northern California.
"While we are excited to see some storm activity in the coming days, sustained periods of no precipitation can dry the state out very quickly. For each day it's not snowing or raining, we are not keeping up with what we need," Nemeth said.
The state's reservoirs remain above average. Lake Oroville, one of the state's largest reservoirs, is at 126 percent of average for this time of the year. Reservoirs in Southern California are also near or above historical averages.
The DWR has deployed members to Southern California to protect watersheds around burn scars.
The next snow survey is currently scheduled for Feb. 28. The DWR will conduct two more monthly surveys and possibly a third in May.
