California water officials reported a good start to the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada but are also saying more snow is needed through the rest of winter to stay on track.

The start of another new year means another series of snow surveys conducted by the California Department of Water Resources. And many times over the years, questions arise as to why the state measures the snowpack and why it even matters to the everyday person.

Snowpack in the mountains of California is near average for this time of year, after a recent series of storms provided a much-needed boost to the region, officials reported Thursday. The

California’s first snowpack measurement of 2025 on Thursday showed promising figures for the water year, complemented by high storage levels in some of the state’s most critic

California water officials are feeling somewhat optimistic about the state's snowpack but emphasized that they're hoping for more weather systems to keep the water supply at a healthy level. Heather Waldman looks at snow survey trends.

“Recent water years have shown how quickly conditions can change,” said Andy Reising, manager of snow surveys at DWR, who announced Thursday’s results. “With the potential to become a La Niña here shortly, that could indicate a continuation of that trend of drier south.”

The results from the first snow survey of the season are in. Officials from the California Department of Water Resources performed the survey just south of Lake Tahoe and found that the snowpack is about 10% below normal. The survey took place at Phillips Station, which is just one of the 260 survey sites across the state.

Thanks to a series of early winter storms, the first official survey of the season on Thursday found the vital California snowpack at a near-average level.

The California Department of Water Resources took its first official snow survey at Phillips Station at the entrance to the Sierra-At-Tahoe Ski Resort on Thursday.