California SNOTEL Snow/Precipitation Update Report
Based on Mountain Data from NRCS SNOTEL Sites
**Provisional data, subject to revision**
Data based on the first reading of the day (typically 00:00) for Sunday, March 20, 2016
Basin   Site Name Elev (ft) Snow Water Equivalent Water Year-to-Date Precipitation Current (in) Median (in) Pct of Median Current (in) Median (in) Pct of Median TRUCKEE RIVER   Mt Rose Ski Area 8801 39.5    35.8    110    47.9    39.4    122      Independence Lake 8338 46.2    40.8    113    43.5    35.2    124      Big Meadow 8235 23.5    19.0    124    29.0    21.4    136      Palisades Tahoe 8013 40.2    45.6    88    49.4    45.4    109      Marlette Lake 7884 23.0    21.2    108    28.7    23.3    123      Independence Camp 6980 10.9    13.0    84    19.4    20.1    97      Css Lab 6894 37.0    34.2    108    58.5    48.6    120      Tahoe City Cross 6797 2.8    10.0    28    34.3    25.9    132      Ward Creek #3 6745 36.9    35.2    105    61.0    48.2    127      Truckee #2 6509 14.4    15.8    91    30.4    24.3    125      Little Valley 6493 1.2    N/A    *   28.4    N/A    *     Independence Creek 6436 6.0    12.8    47    22.5    20.9    108    Basin Index (%) 99    120    LAKE TAHOE   Mt Rose Ski Area 8801 39.5    35.8    110    47.9    39.4    122      Heavenly Valley 8534 29.6    21.2    140    33.2    22.8    146      Carson Pass 8355 31.3    28.6(16) 109    32.6    29.6(16) 110      Palisades Tahoe 8013 40.2    45.6    88    49.4    45.4    109      Marlette Lake 7884 23.0    21.2    108    28.7    23.3    123      Hagans Meadow 7742 15.4    14.4    107    29.3    21.0    140      Echo Peak 7653 45.1    39.0    116    53.0    40.3    132      Rubicon #2 7619 22.5    23.1    97    33.0    27.2    121      Tahoe City Cross 6797 2.8    10.0    28    34.3    25.9    132      Ward Creek #3 6745 36.9    35.2    105    61.0    48.2    127      Fallen Leaf 6242 0.0    3.2    0    27.8    23.8    117    Basin Index (%) 103    124    CARSON RIVER   Ebbetts Pass 8661 34.0    32.0    106    45.8    38.7    118      Horse Meadow 8557 21.0    18.1(17) 116    25.1    18.4(17) 136      Heavenly Valley 8534 29.6    21.2    140    33.2    22.8    146      Carson Pass 8355 31.3    28.6(16) 109    32.6    29.6(16) 110      Monitor Pass 8306 14.3    14.0    102    19.4    15.2    128      Burnside Lake 8129 23.8    23.8(17) 100    36.6    30.3(17) 121      Blue Lakes 8067 30.2    26.6    114    35.9    30.4    118      Forestdale Creek 8017 33.6    30.6(17) 110    41.4    35.7(17) 116      Marlette Lake 7884 23.0    21.2    108    28.7    23.3    123      Hagans Meadow 7742 15.4    14.4    107    29.3    21.0    140      Poison Flat 7736 16.1    16.8    96    24.6    21.6    114      Spratt Creek 6063 0.0    1.2    0    26.3    20.8    126    Basin Index (%) 110    123    WALKER RIVER   Leavitt Lake 9604 54.3    52.0    104    45.2    41.4    109      Virginia Lakes Ridge 9400 15.7    15.0    105    18.8    17.7    106      Summit Meadow 9313 19.9    19.9(17) 100    20.2    18.6(17) 109      Lobdell Lake 9249 14.7    14.8    99    17.8    16.5    108      Sonora Pass 8770 21.9    21.6    101    28.1    25.4    111      Monitor Pass 8306 14.3    14.0    102    19.4    15.2    128      Willow Flat CA 8215 -M    N/A    *   -M    N/A    *     Leavitt Meadows 7198 2.9    9.6    30    25.1    23.1    109    Basin Index (%) 98    111    KLAMATH RIVER   Annie Springs 6010 45.7    34.0(20) 134    57.9    46.2(20) 125      Big Red Mountain 6050 28.0    24.4    115    47.8    38.4    124      Billie Creek Divide 5280 28.6    20.7    138    50.5    37.4    135      Chemult Alternate 4850 12.5    5.5    227    27.6    19.6    141      Cold Springs Camp 5940 27.5    25.5    108    49.0    40.8    120      Crazyman Flat 6180 17.8    13.1(19) 136    30.1    23.2(19) 130      Crowder Flat 5170 0.0    0.2(21) 0*   13.8    10.2(21) 135      Diamond Lake 5280 15.7    12.3    128    46.3    34.6    134      Fish Lk. 4660 12.5    10.9    115    41.2    30.8    134      Fourmile Lake 5970 32.1    25.1    128    50.4    39.6    127      Gerber Reservoir 4890 0.0    0.0(22) *   13.1    9.2(22) 142      Howard Prairie 4580 1.7    N/A    *   27.5    N/A    *     Quartz Mountain 5720 0.0    0.0(27) *   13.4    10.0(17) 134      Sevenmile Marsh 5700 31.9    28.4    112    52.8    44.6    118      Silver Creek 5740 9.0    8.3    108    22.4    17.6    127      State Line 5680 2.6    N/A    *   18.0    N/A    *     Strawberry 5770 0.0    2.6    0    16.7    14.6    114      Summer Rim 7080 17.5    14.7    119    22.1    17.9    123      Sun Pass 5400 23.8    17.8(14) 134    38.7    28.2(14) 137      Swan Lake Mtn 6830 31.7    20.4(14) 155    32.9    24.6(14) 134      Taylor Butte 5030 0.5    4.8    10    16.7    13.8    121    Basin Index (%) 125    128

-M  = Missing data.
 *  = Analysis may not provide a valid measure of conditions.
N/A = Not available.

Footnotes for median and average:
(##) = If less than 30 years are available, this value specifies the number of years used for the median and average calculations.
Sites with less than 10 years available do not have medians or averages.

If the Basin Index (%) percent value is flagged as potentially invalid,
care should be taken to evaluate if the value is representative
of conditions in the basin.

The SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT represents the depth of water in the snowpack, if the
snowpack were melted, expressed in inches.


The WATER YEAR-TO-DATE-PRECIPITATION represents total precipitation since October 1st, expressed in inches.

Contact your state water supply staff for assistance.

Medians and averages are calculated for the period 1991-2020.


Provisional data, subject to revision.

* Site -- Either: (a) the current value is missing; (b) the median or average for the day is not available or is zero; or (c) for snow water equivalent, the median or average for the day is less than 10% of the maximum median or average value for the year.

* Basin - More than half of the stations for a basin with normals report missing or invalid data.

The basin index is calculated as the sum of the valid current values divided by the sum of the corresponding medians or averages and the resulting fraction multiplied by 100.