California snow water content as of March, 23 2015 is 9% of normal for April 1, a record low, and an absolute disaster for California's water supplies.
California's can expect no water for its drought depleted reservoirs from melting snow in the high Sierra. On March 23, one week from the April 1 date used by water forecasters to predict summer run off from melting snow,
the Sierra Nevada's snow water content was a record low 9% of normal. Near record warmth is forecast in the coming week and little precipitation is forecast in the next 10 days going into the long, hot, summer dry season. Melting snow normally constitutes one third of California's water supplies and acts to lengthen the spring season. This year summer will come early. Reservoirs and groundwater levels will begin to fall months earlier than normal because of the lack of mountain snow melt this spring.
California's mountain snow pack was a record low 9% of normal for April 1, and melting. April 1 is the day used by water managers to predict summer water supplies.
El Nino, an event in the Pacific ocean that brings warm tropical water from the western equatorial Pacific to American shores, often brings heavy precipitation to California. This year, El Nino did bring some rain, but the atmosphere was so warm than almost no snow fell in the mountains. Reduced snowfall in the southwestern north America is one of the predictions of climate models that is verifying in real time. The effect on western regional water supplies is disastrous. Water supply conditions in California are dire.
The 2014-2015 winter season has recorded the smallest Sierra Nevada snow pack ever measured. A record low is a near certainty because forecasts predict continued warm and dry weather.