Kings River snowpack at 43% of average; CA total at 18% of average

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A important snowfall survey connected Wednesday reveals California's snowpack is astatine 18% of average.

A bare Phillips Station adjacent Lake Tahoe serves arsenic a motion of the findings, which revealed 0 inches of h2o contented and depth, making the determination beryllium astatine 0% of average.

"Normally, we'd beryllium lasting close present if we had an mean year. This is evidently a below-average year," California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager, Andy Reising, said.

Phillips Station is 1 of much than 260 measurement sites that lend to this April survey.

The Kings River snowpack is different contributor. Its h2o contented is astir 12.5 inches, lone 43% of the average, according to findings from the Kings River Water Association.

These debased results travel astatine a clip erstwhile the snowpack should beryllium astatine its peak, but caller warm, adust upwind has created issues.

"Snow that would've melted successful April oregon May and tally disconnected past really ran disconnected successful March, truthful we had a overmuch earlier melt," Kings River Water Association watermaster Steven Haugen explained.

That earlier melt poses challenges to the country arsenic the Kings River watershed serves portions of Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties.

"The irrigators person to tally h2o earlier than they would like, truthful we're acrophobic astir what we mightiness person for h2o proviso erstwhile we get to precocious July and August/September. We whitethorn tally retired earlier than we typically would," Haugen stated.

But for now, the Department of Water Resources says the state's reservoirs are astir full.

"What we person successful our reservoirs is what we person and we person it to negociate truly for the adjacent six months oregon truthful until we deed October," DWR manager Karla Nemeth said.

The Kings River Water Association says that means h2o districts and managers whitethorn request to power to groundwater earlier than they would like.

For quality and upwind updates, travel Tiffany Olin connected Facebook, X and Instagram.