Survey says we remain in a drought; once abundant snowpack drops to average

The term "dry January" took on a new meaning Tuesday afternoon as the Department of Water Resources attributed the rainless first month of the year has melted what was an abundant snowpack back to near average levels. Trekking into Phillips Station to perform the second manual snow survey of the season, Department of Water Resources (DWR) officials recorded 48.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 19 inches, which is 109 percent of average for this location on this date. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of the Department of Water Resources's water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack has dipped to 92 percent of average for this date. "We are definitely still in a drought. A completely dry January shows how quickly surpluses can disappear," said Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. "The variability of California weather proves that nothing is guaranteed and further emphasizes the need to conserve and continue preparing for a possible third dry year." Nemeth explained that the snowmelt during January has been minimal due to cool temperatures. However, with little to no accumulation of snow during January, snowpack levels are closer to average Feb. 1 conditions. What do the readings mean? It means a stormy February and March is needed for a chance at maintaining above-normal levels. So far, no precipitation is in the forecast for the next 10 days. Regionally, the Southern Sierra snowpack is not faring as well as the Northern Sierra. Water supply forecasts for the south San Joaquin Valley are below average due to the lack of rain and snow in this region. "These dry January conditions demonstrate the importance of continuing to improve our forecasting abilities and why these snow surveys are essential," said Sean de Guzman, manager of the Department of Water Resources's Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. "While we always hope for a generous snowpack, DWR's ongoing investments in forecasting techniques will help the state better prepare for both drought and flood conditions." In light of last year's poor runoff, the Department of Water Resources has increased its efforts to improve climate and runoff forecasting by strengthening its collaboration with partner agencies and academia and by investing in proven technologies to improve data collection and hydrologic modeling. Although early season storms helped alleviate some drought impacts, a lack of storms in January has underscored the need for Californians to continue focusing on conservation. Most of California's reservoirs are still below average and groundwater supplies are still recovering. California still has two months left of its typical wet season and will require more storms in those months to end the year at average.