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Climate and Environment

Crucial Sierra Nevada Snowpack Has Reached 100%

By  Jacob Margolis
Published Mar 13, 2024 2:39 PM
Snow covered mountains.
Snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains on February 23, 2024 near Mammoth Lakes, California.
(
Mario Tama/Getty Images
/
Getty Images North America
)
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Topline:

This year's rainy season started off warm and dry, but after a series of big storms, Sierra Nevada snowpack has reached 100% of the April 1 average. That's important because all that snow is a huge source of water for us and our landscapes.

The caveat: Even though we have an average snowpack, it’s possible we won’t see an average amount of runoff according to the California Department of Water Resources, in part, as a result of hotter than average temperatures causing greater evaporation.

The good news: Our reservoirs are sitting pretty, so we’ve got a lot of water stored going into the hot months.

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What to watch for: Hot and dry weather showing up and stretching into next year's rainy season could put us in water trouble yet again.

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