State officials said Friday that winter storms in the Sierra Nevada increased snow to 90% of normal conditions this month, a good sign for water supply in California.
Andy Reising, Snow Survey and Water Forecast Manager for the Department of Water Resources, said the Sierra snow cluster is now approaching its average for the third consecutive year.
“This is good news for the country,” Resin told reporters on the snowy meadow near Lake Tahoe.
Officials took measurements at about 260 locations in the Sierra Mountains, indicating that the northern mountains have more snow than the southern regions.
As of Friday, the dates of snow in northern Sierra accounted for 108% of the average, while the average of Sierra Leone in central Sierra was 83% and the average of the Sierra Mountains was 81%.
Officials said officials hope the expected storm early next week will increase those percentages.
April 1 is usually the snow-covered peak in Sierra Leone, he said. After that date, more and more quantities began to melt.
Sierra Leone’s snow supplies one-third of the state’s water supply.
Current snow cover levels represent one of several indicators that measure the outlook for California’s water. Another is that the amount of water stored in the state’s reservoir is much higher than average.
If there is no rain this spring, Southern California could enter a drought later this year, Resin said. He said the Los Angeles area only accounts for 50% of the normal precipitation.
