Related
The latest and last snow survey of the season has confirmed what we’ve already feared - California’s spring storms were not enough to offset a dry winter.
The fifth survey of the year took place Thursday morning at the Phillips Station snow course in the Sierra Nevada, which sits in an exposed meadow south of Lake Tahoe.
California Department of Water Resources Chief of Snow Surveys Sean de Guzman gave the reading, recording a dismal 1.5-inch snow depth and a 0.5-inch water content.
That’s 3% of the average for May and just 2% of the April 1 average.
"Water year 2020 is a prime example of how variable our climate really is here in California and how variable it can be within a given year," de Guzman said.
"A lot of the April precipitation and snow did come in above average for a lot of the state which is really good news for a lot of the reservoirs statewide as they are trying to capture as much water as possible as we move into the dry summer months," de Guzman said.
Major reservoirs are currently all near or above their historical averages for this time of year, good news as snowmelt runoff is forecast to be 50% to 70% of average.
"Although seasonal precipitation, snow and runoff will end below average for the year, luckily our major reservoirs are all currently near or above their historical averages for this time of year," de Guzman said.
The survey was broadcast on Facebook Live.