Publication Date January 10, 2014 | Association of California Water Agencies

State's First Snow Survey of 2014 Confirms Meager Water Content to Date in Sierra

United States

The department of water resources' first manual snow survey of the season on Jan. 3 recorded predictably dismal results: the Sierra snowpack in California is about 20% of normal for the date.

DWR took measurements at the traditional location near Echo Summit about 10 miles south of Lake Tahoe. They are as follows: Alpha (7,600 feet), snow depth of 7.9 inches and 2 inches of water content, 15% of normal for the date; Phillips Station (6,800 feet) 9.3 inches of snow depth and 2.3 inches of water content, 20% of normal; and Lyons Creek (6,700 feet) 15.4 inches of snow and 3.6 inches of water.