California could experience three consecutive years of snowpack reaching 100 percent of normal levels for the first time this century.

Newsweek reached out to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The Sierra Nevada snowpack provides around 30 percent of California’s water needs. In the spring, the snow melts and supplements local rivers and reservoirs to carry them through the dry summer months.

After years of drought that severely depleted the state’s water reserves, California has seen back-to-back years of above-average snowpack in the Sierra Nevada in 2023 and 2024. And as of February 19, the state is on track to have its third year of above-average snowpack.

According to KVPR in Fresno, California, the last time the state saw three straight years of snowpack at 100 percent average or above was in the late 1990s.

What To Know

California started the winter wet season with above-average snowpack performance. At the start of January, the DWR reported that statewide, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was near normal.

But an unseasonably dry January put the snowpack behind schedule, with DWR officials reporting that statewide snowpack was only 65 percent of average at the end of last month.

The first few weeks of February have aided the snowpack’s recovery, and the statewide level is once again near 100 percent of normal for this time of year.

About 5 1/2 weeks remain before the April 1 cutoff for snowpack measurements. Once spring arrives, the snowmelt supplements local rivers and reservoirs.

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Sacramento attributed the rise in snowpack to recent winter storms that have brought heavy snow to high-elevation areas.

What People Are Saying

Extreme-storm chaser Colin McCarthy, in a post on X: “If California sees a wet March and the snowpack reaches 100% by spring, this would be the first time in the 21st century that California has had three winters in a row with a snowpack at or above 100% of normal.”

DWR State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson in last year’s snowpack summary: “California has had two years of relatively positive water conditions, but that is no reason to let our guard down now. With three record-setting multi-year droughts in the last 15 years and warmer temperatures, a well above average snowpack is needed to reach average runoff. The wild swings from dry to wet that make up today’s water years make it important to maintain conservation while managing the runoff we do receive. Our water years moving forward will see more extreme dry times interrupted by very wet periods like we saw this winter.”

What Happens Next

California must see snowstorms in March to continue adding to the snowpack, but the NWS Climate Prediction Center is anticipating above-average temperatures for the entire state for the next few weeks. Below-normal precipitation also is expected for much of the state during the same time period.