"Officials at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range that covers the eastern part of the state, recorded a snow depth of 24 inches (61 centimeters), said Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, state hydrometeorologist at the Department of Water Resources' snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit. The water content of the snowpack at the station is currently at 50% of the average for this time of year and 21% of the average for April 1, when the Sierra snowpack is typically at its peak, she said."
"The snowpack serves as a huge frozen reservoir, providing about a third of the water used annually in California as it melts each spring and flows into rivers and streams. The state has built a complex system of canals and dams to capture and store the water in reservoirs for the hot, dry months when it doesn't rain or snow. Fabbiani-Leon said the state's major reservoirs were in good shape for this time of year."
Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada currently has a snow depth of 24 inches and snow water content at 50% of the seasonal average and 21% of the April 1 average. Statewide snowpack measures about 71% of average. Recent storms significantly increased snowpack, and another colder storm is expected this week. Snowpack provides roughly one-third of California's annual water supply as it melts into rivers and reservoirs. The state uses canals and dams to capture meltwater, major reservoirs are in good shape for this time of year, and measurements combine manual surveys and electronic instruments. California supports 39 million people and extensive agriculture reliant on this water.
Read at ABC30 Fresno
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