Water years in California can be all over the place with massive years immediately followed by major droughts. It’s been described as hit and miss, but rarely do you get a hit-hit-hit situation in one key metric for water in the state: snowpack. Snowpack is highly variable since it’s a component of water and temperature. You can have big snowfalls followed up by warm and dry conditions, then by early spring when snow melt and runoff is most important, some of the snowpack may be already gone. … This water year is unique since most of the snow has yet to melt and already California reservoirs as a whole are well above average at 115%. … Many lakes are nearly 90% full with many months of runoff and inflows to come. Reservoirs in the Central and Southern Region are not quite as full, but still remain above average or at least close bringing more good water news to the rest of the state.

Other snowpack and water supply news around the West:

• National Integrated Drought Information System: Drought status update: Spring heat wave rapidly melts snow across the West
• The Sacramento Bee: Spring storm blankets Sierra Nevada, stops traffic. What are new snowfall totals?
• Los Angeles Times: California’s snowpack report card is in. What does it mean for the water supply?
• 2 News Nevada (Reno): Truckee Meadows water supply looks promising ahead of the summer
• YubaNet (Nevada City, Calif.): Late storm boosts NID’s snowpack; April survey measures 98 percent of average
• FOX11 (Reno, Nev.): Tahoe Basin snowpack above average, drought-free outlook for region
• KPCW: State water report shows a divided Utah
• Smart Water Magazine: Study finds Rocky Mountain snowpack contamination with mercury and other metals from mining
• Utah Department of Natural Resources: News release: Wings over Weber: airborne snow surveys