California Sees Wettest Start to Water Year in 40 Years, Still Not Enough to Cure Concerns Over Drought

Some possible hope in California as it battle back from extreme and exceptional drought. And it's coming in the form of a lot of snow.

The National Weather Service says snowpack over the Seirras has increased dramatically in just 7 days. It comes after a series of storms hit the region.

The snow helping aid snowpack, which is crucial for the state's agriculture's irrigation needs. Officials say the state's average snow water equivalent percentage of snowpack jumped from 19% on December 10 to 98% today.

The snow. giving the state its wettest start to the all-important water year in more than 40 years. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says California could see another six or seven inches of snow or more by the end of the month.

"So that in all will be a very impressive month. We could be looking at a Sierra Nevada snow water equivalent see as we start the new year, perhaps around 15 inches, and that puts us halfway to a normal year," says Brad Rippey, USDA Meteorologist. "It gives us all of January, February and March to get that other 15 inches to put us up to a normal season."

Despite the promising start, Rippey cautions that the long-term trend may not be as promising for moisture and drought outlook. 

"Here's why I have to be a little bit pessimistic, and that is the fact that we are coming off of two years of drought in California, seven years of drought in the last 10," he says. "And what that means is that we need an above average snowpack this year to fully alleviate the drought impacts that have built up over the last two years. You'll need some of that initial snowfall and precipitation to help moisten topsoil to get that soil moisture profile reestablished. Secondly, you will need runoff to help refill reservoirs." 

Rippey says realistically, the area needs at least 150% of the average snowfall to have a good chance of ending the drought by spring.