Storms have piled snow on the Sierra Nevada in recent weeks, with the weekend storm bringing a foot of snow to some Tahoe ski areas. Statewide, the snowpack is 49% of average for this time of year — a stark contrast to this time last year, when the Sierra snowpack was a whopping 257% of average. But modest improvements since New Year’s Day, when the snowpack was just 28% of average, have “moved the snowpack in the right direction,” said a spokesperson for California’s Department of Water Resources, by email. Snowpack plays a crucial role in California’s water supply, melting during the spring and summer and feeding reservoirs.

Related articles: 

• Los Angeles Times: More rain is expected for Southern California this week. How much could we get?
• Mercury News: Storms are on the way. Here’s when and how much rain they will bring to the Bay Area