Sierra Nevada Snow Pack: What a Difference a Year Makes

news image
Special Stories
5 Mar 2018 8:03 PM
Even with recent major snow in the Sierra Nevada a survey at Phillips Station reveals the current snow pack is well below average. The survey conducted at the Phillips snow course measures the depth of the snow but also calculates the Snow Water Equivalent or SWE. SWE is the depth of water that theoretically would result if the entire snowpack melted instantaneously. That measurement is more important than depth in evaluating the status of the snowpack. The snowpack – often called California’s “frozen reservoir “– normally provides about a third of the water for California’s farms and communities as it melts in the spring and summer and fills reservoirs and rivers. The Phillips snow course, near the intersection of Highway 50 and Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, is one of 260 that are surveyed manually throughout the winter. Manual measurements augment the electronic readings from the snow pillows in the Sierra Nevada that provide a current snapshot of the water content in the snow pack. The snow survey conducted March 5, 2018, was the second measurement at Phillips Station for this snow survey period. On February 28, a snow survey found a SWE of 1.7 inches, or just 7 percent of average for that time of year as recorded since 1964. The  second measurement on March 5, 2018 yielded a 32 percentage-point increase in SWE over the previous week where the snow water equivalent (SWE) was 9.4 inches, which is 39 percent of normal for early March. The March 1 average at Phillips is 24.3 inches SWE. Results of the readings by DWR at Phillips Station: Compared to a survey conducted a year ago on March 1, 2017 March 1, 2017  manual snow survey by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada found a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 43.4 inches. One good thing to consider is that California’s exceptionally high precipitation last winter and spring has resulted in above-average storage in 154 reservoirs tracked by the Department. DWR estimates total storage in those reservoirs at the end of February 2018 was 24.6 million acre feet (MAF), or about 100 percent of the 24.7 MAF average for the end of February. http://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain In addition to the manual surveys conducted at Phillips, DWR also logs electronic readings from 103 stations scattered throughout the Sierra. Electronic measurements indicate the SWE of the northern Sierra snow pack is 7.4 inches, 30 percent of the multi-decade average for March 5th. The central and southern Sierra readings are 11.5 inches (43 percent of average) and 8.7 inches (37 percent of average) respectively. Statewide, the snow pack SWE is 9.5 inches, or 37 percent of the March 5 average. Electronic snow pack readings are available at: http://bit.ly/2rVa84a California’s climate is the most variable of any state. Historically, it swings from drought to flood and back to drought. To help prepare for these ever-wider extremes, Californians can learn ways to save water every day by visiting SaveOurWater.com. Credit: California Department of Water Resources Meteorologist Mike Morrison
All Weather News
More
Fronts Continue To Spark Severe Weather Across the Plains

Fronts Continue To Spark Severe Weather Across the Plains

A cold front that brought record lows to the

18 Jul 2025 10:40 PM
Extreme Heat Impacts for the East Coast & South

Extreme Heat Impacts for the East Coast & South

Extreme heat continues to impact several area

18 Jul 2025 10:05 PM
Flooding Threat Remains Elevated in the East

Flooding Threat Remains Elevated in the East

A cold front pushing through the Eastern Seab

18 Jul 2025 9:10 PM
EF-2 Firenado from the Deer Creek Fire in Utah

EF-2 Firenado from the Deer Creek Fire in Utah

A fire tornado was spotted near La Sal, Utah

18 Jul 2025 7:30 AM
Tropical System Brings Flood Risk to the Central Gulf

Tropical System Brings Flood Risk to the Central Gulf

Time has run out for notable tropical develop

18 Jul 2025 3:05 AM
Heavy Rain, Flooding Threat Returns to Florida

Heavy Rain, Flooding Threat Returns to Florida

Keep the rain boots handy in Florida - heavy

13 Jul 2025 12:50 PM
Severe Storm Risk Pushes into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley

Severe Storm Risk Pushes into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley

Friday was another busy day with severe weath

12 Jul 2025 8:00 PM