For only the second time in recorded history, no measurable snow was found at Phillips Station, Calif., on April 1 during the California Department of Water Resources' snow survey. It was the worst number on record except for April 1, 2015, when there was no snow on the ground at all.
The California Department of Water Resources measures the snowpack at Phillips Station, Calif., on April 1, 2023 (L), and April 1, 2026 (R).
This time of year, snowpack is often at its maximum there, and in 2023, there were 54 inches (4.5 feet) at that location on April 1.
"According to automated sensors across the Sierra Nevada, this year's statewide snowpack likely reached its peak on or near February 24," the CDWR reported. The CDWR blamed the lack of snow on March's record heat, which melted what little snow fell in the area over the winter, closing ski resorts in the state early.
On average, California's snowpack supplies about 30 percent of the state's water needs, so measuring California's snowpack, by hand or with automated instruments, is a key component of water management. California's snowpack is often referred to as the state's "frozen reservoir" due to the mountains' ability to store water in snow for long periods.
