Snowpack in California is now over 72% of average- up 12% in one day after a cold wet week in Sierra. The central Sierra Snow Lab in Tahoe reports about 4 feet of snow in the past week. Further south at China Peak ski resort above Fresno, they report the mountain received about 5 feet of snow in the past week. Over the next 48 hours they could see another one to two feet in smaller doses of 3 to 4 inches during the day and evening. The report says the pattern will continue into Wednesday clearing for Thursday. At Mammoth Mountain the resort says the three day snow total adds up to 4 feet of new powder and 176 inches received so far this season at the main lodge.
As of February 2 the statewide snowpack water content was 57% of the average for the date. By Monday, February 5, the California Department of Water Resources reported the water content had risen to 72% of average for the date.
Water supply gets a boost
Monitoring rainfall at California’s most important reservoir -Shasta Lake -rainfall has been abundant in the past week, showing a similar straight up pattern in this graph comparing each year’s rainfall. Looking at the chart you can see the pattern follows last year’s uptick in rainfall through February 5.Looking at earlier years at the same chart you see that the spigot turns off after February in several dry water-years. So far this year, Shasta Lake has received about 37 inches of rain. And the Bureau is draining some storage to make more room. The second largest dam in the United States is already 82 % full and 28 feet from the top.
Further south on the coast in the San Luis Obispo/ Monterey area – heavy rainfall is helping to fill this area’s most important reservoir. Lake Nacimiento, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles most important water supply, the percentage of capacity jumped from 63% to 69% two days. Rainfall total today at the lake is 10.7 inches – not that far off of last year’s number on the same date of 11.9 inches received.
At Salinas Reservoir at Santa Margarita Lake, the dam is already at 105% of capacity and nearby Lopez Lake is at 99.5% of capacity.
In Los Osos – dependent on groundwater for their supply, the community has received about 12.6 inches in the morning of February 6 – up about 4.6 inches since the first of the month. The community gets an average of about 18 inches rain a year.