Water resources officials find there's a bunch of snow in the Sierra

Water resources officials in both Nevada and California trekked into the mountains to find a lot of snow on Monday.

Because of weather conditions on Mount Rose, Natural Resources Conservation Service Hydrologist Jeff Anderson and Federal Water Master Chad Blanchard had to delay their visit until Monday afternoon.

They measured 188 inches of snow containing 73.6 inches of water above Lake Tahoe, which feeds the Truckee River.

Meanwhile, up at Phillips Station on the California side, surveyors recorded 126.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 54 inches, which is 221 percent of average, according to the Department of Water Resources.

The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of the department’s water supply forecast.

While the snow measurement is a monthly exercise during the winter, water watchers can track both snow depth and water equivalent from their offices through the network of snow telemetry sites across the Sierra.

This year’s April 1 result from the snow sensor network is higher than any other reading since it was established in the mid-1980s. Before the network was established, the 1983 April 1 statewide summary from manual snow course measurements was 227 percent of average. The 1952 April 1 statewide summary for snow course measurements was 237 percent of average.

“This year’s severe storms and flooding is the latest example that California’s climate is becoming more extreme,” said Director Karla Nemeth. “After the driest three years on record and devastating drought impacts to communities across the state, DWR has rapidly shifted to flood response and forecasting for the upcoming snowmelt. We have provided flood assistance to many communities who just a few months ago were facing severe drought impacts.”

Just as the drought years demonstrated that California’s water system is facing new climate challenges, this year is showing how the state’s flood infrastructure will continue to face climate-driven challenges for moving and storing as much of these flood water as possible.

“This year’s result will go down as one of the largest snowpack years on record in California,” said Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “While 1952’s snow course measurements showed a similar result, there were fewer snow courses at that time, making it difficult to compare to today’s results. Because additional snow courses were added over the years, it is difficult to compare results accurately across the decades with precision, but this year’s snowpack is definitely one of the biggest the state has seen since the 1950s.”

For California’s snow course measurements, only 1952, 1969 and 1983 recorded statewide results above 200 percent of the April 1 average. While above average across the state this year, snowpack varies considerably by region. The Southern Sierra snowpack is currently 300 percent of its April 1 average and the Central Sierra is at 237 percent of its April 1 average. However, the critical Northern Sierra, where the state’s largest surface water reservoirs are located, is at 192 percent of its April 1 average.