It has been widely reported that March was a disaster for California’s snowpack. Summer seemed to arrive three months early, with record-shattering heat and dryness and a mere pittance of precipitation. Did a relatively cool, rainy, and even snowy April make up for it? The short answer is no—but it helped. It’s important to remember that snowpack is California’s third-largest source of water storage, behind surface reservoirs and groundwater. Our statewide water supply grid is built around storing roughly 30% of statewide water supply in snowpack, a relatively reliable source of water through the 20th century. … Depending on how thick the snowpack is, this melting can last well into June and even July in some years.

Other California water supply news:

• Community Alliance (Fresno, Calif.): Climate change drives California’s water plan​​
• Enterprise-Record (Chico, Calif.): Lake Oroville nears full capacity