When it comes to water resources, the northern Sierra Nevada snowpack is a harbinger of abundance or scarcity for 40 million California residents and businesses. The 2025-26 snow season has arrived and is off to a very slow start. Northern California, driver of the state’s water bounty is currently at just 16 percent of average to date.

Other snowpack and water supply news around the West:

• Bay Area News Group: Bay Area weather: No rain is forecast through Christmas. Is it time to worry about drought?
• San Francisco Chronicle: When will it snow again in Tahoe? Here’s what the weather models show
• Denver Gazette (Colo.): Another round of 18 to 24″ of snow possible on Colorado mountain range
• KUNR (Reno, Nev.): Mountains are warming faster than valleys, and the West’s water supply is at risk, study finds