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California Water Levels Catching Up01-31-23 | 10
TLE-Anaheim-2025

California Water Levels Catching Up
Reservoirs Higher Than 2025, Snowpack Still Low
by Keziah Olsen Morris, LCMP
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TLE-Anaheim-2025


After winter storms hit various parts of California, and with more on the way, the snowpack and reservoir levels across the state are catching up to and even surpassing 2025 levels. The year started off significantly warmer and drier compared to historical averages, leading to a delay in the skiing season due to no snow, and there were growing concerns about the snowpack.

After a large storm at the end of January, reservoir storage conditions were way above average across the state ?EUR" about 10 percent higher than the previous year, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service ?EUR" and these measurements were taken before the large storm that hit at the end of February. Looking to Spring, precipitation levels are projected to rise but only modestly and on par with median levels.

Though there is a lot of precipitation and even overflow into the ocean, some concern remains regarding the snowpack. Statewide, the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program reported on February 18 that the snowpack is 69 percent of normal, with the Southern Region faring the best at 94 percent followed by the Central Region at 70 percent and the Northern Region at only 50 percent. This is concerning leading into a warm El Ni??o summer, as the state relies on the snowpack for water as the reservoirs dip. The storm series at the end of February and beginning of March have the potential to bring the snowpack back up, particularly if the weather stays cooler.

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