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Storms deliver much-needed snowpack & water
snow survey 2025
California Department of Water Resources Engineer Jacob Kollen (left) and Engineer Anthony Burdock conduct the first media snow survey of the 2026 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada on Dec. 30, 2025. The snow survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County.
The Department of Water Resources conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on Dec. 30. The manual survey recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 5 inches, which is 50 percent of average for this location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack was 71 percent of average for this date.