California records third consecutive year of near- or above-average snowpack for first time in 25 years
California has experienced the third consecutive year with near- or above-average snowpack for the first time in 25 years, according to measurements on April 1, 2025, by researchers from the California Department of Water Resources. The last time California had three consecutive years of average or above-average snow was from 1998 to 2000. At that point, it had been 20 years since a similar pattern occurred, from 1978 to 1980.
Snow covers trees on a mountain peak near the site where the California Department of Water Resources conducts the fourth media snow survey of the 2025 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada. The snow survey is held approximately 145 km (90 miles) east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken March 28, 2025. Image credit: Xavier Mascareñas California Department of Water Resources
As of April 1, the Northern Sierra reported 121% of the average snowpack, with a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 79.2 cm (31.2 inches). The Central Sierra reported 96%, with an SWE of 67.3 cm (26.5 inches). The Southern Sierra reported 87%, with an SWE of 48.5 cm (19.1 inches).
SWE refers to the amount of water that is stored as snow, meaning if SWE is 25.4 cm (10 inches), melting the snow would result in roughly 25.4 cm (10 inches) of standing water.
California’s snowpack typically provides nearly a third of the state’s water supply. The high percentage of snowpack indicated ample water supplies in the mountains for the year.
This near-average winter followed an extremely wet and snowy 2023 and a wet 2024. This time last year, the snowpack measured 111% of the average.
The latest storms and increased snowpack prompted state water officials to increase their forecast of water deliveries from the aqueducts of the State Water Project on March 25. The aqueducts supply water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. The allocation was increased to 40% of requested supplies, up from 35% a month earlier.
“Earlier on, there were some indicators that we might have a dry year, but fortunately, the storm windows have stayed open and given us a good boost in February and March to be where we are today,” said Andy Reising, manager of snow surveys and water supply forecasting for the California Department of Water Resources.
The last time California had three consecutive years of average or above-average snow was from 1998 to 2000. At that point, it had been 20 years since a similar pattern occurred, from 1978 to 1980.
The dominance of wet weather has brought a reprieve from the severe drought that affected California from 2020 through 2022, the state’s driest three-year period on record.
Storms, including the barrage of atmospheric rivers that struck California, have brought ample rains at lower elevations, and statewide precipitation since October 1, 2024, measures 103% of the average for this time of year.
Heavy rains in the last two years have contributed to maintaining ample water supply in the state’s reservoirs, with its major reservoirs being at 117% of average levels.
“The reservoirs are above average for this time of year, and so that’s a great sign for this year moving forward,” Reising told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday, April 1.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which delivers water for 19 million people in six counties, has a record amount of water banked in reservoirs and underground storage areas.
Although the ample snowpack and nearly full reservoirs mean stable water supplies for California for the time being, officials and experts caution that the next dry spell could come at any time.
The end-of-March winter storm prompted researchers to go out into the field a couple of days before the April 1 benchmark to conduct snow surveys across the state.
Researchers from the California Department of Water Resources recorded 100 cm (39.5 inches) of snow at Phillips Station, near Lake Tahoe, with a snow-water equivalent of 43 cm (17 inches). On Friday, March 28 water officials said the state’s snowpack was 90% of average.
“This year is a lesson in why we can never know for certain what our water picture will look like until we get to the end of our traditional wet season,” said Reising.
The state has about 135 snow sensors that help researchers monitor remotely. During a 10-day window at the end of March and the beginning of April, researchers go to the mountains to measure snow in person at 265 sites across the Sierra, sometimes traveling by helicopter, snowmobile, or skis.
The April measurement is a critical marker for water managers across the state, as it is typically the time when the snowpack reaches its maximum volume and begins to melt.
Department of Water Resources (DWR) water supply forecasts use data from the April 1 snowpack to calculate how much snowmelt runoff will eventually make its way into California’s rivers and reservoirs.
References:
1 Snow Water Equivalents – CDEC – April 2, 2025
2 March Delivers: Statewide Snowpack Near Average As California Approaches End of Wet Season – DWR –
3 For the first time in 25 years, California has a snowpack trifecta – LA Times – April 2, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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