February 28, 2019
Today, the California Department of Water Resources conducted the third Phillips Station snow survey of 2019. The manual survey recorded 113 inches of snow depth and a snow-water equivalent of 43.5 inches, which is more than double what was recorded last month at this location.
Statewide, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is 153 percent of average for this date, thanks to several atmospheric rivers during February.
Snow-water equivalent is the depth of water that theoretically would result if the entire snowpack melted instantaneously. It is an important tool used by water managers across the state to estimate anticipated spring runoff.
The results show a notable improvement since the last Phillips survey on January 31, when measurements at Phillips Station revealed a SWE of 18 inches compared to today’s 43.5 inches. Current conditions stand in stark contrast to this time last year when the snow depth was only 13.5 inches and the SWE was just 1.5 inches.