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 Tuesday, January 03, 2023
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 26.5    11.5    230    28.5    17.1    167      Independence Lake 8338 23.7    12.0    198    25.1    15.0    167      Big Meadow 8235 17.1    6.6    259    17.6    10.0    176      Palisades Tahoe 8013 29.8    15.8    189    29.6    19.2    154      Marlette Lake 7884 15.8    7.1    223    18.1    9.9    183      Independence Camp 6980 15.8    4.6    343    15.3    8.8    174      Css Lab 6894 20.6    11.9    173    30.5    21.0    145      Tahoe City Cross 6797 9.7    4.3    226    23.5    11.0    214      Ward Creek #3 6745 20.5    9.3    220    36.2    21.3    170      Truckee #2 6509 14.2    5.9    241    20.2    10.5    192      Little Valley 6493 9.0    N/A    *   18.6    N/A    *     Independence Creek 6436 8.7    4.4    198    14.9    9.2    162    Basin Index (%) 217    170    LAKE TAHOE   Mt Rose Ski Area 8801 26.5    11.5    230    28.5    17.1    167      Heavenly Valley 8534 19.6    7.9    248    21.2    9.2    230      Carson Pass 8355 20.3    9.4(16) 216    20.0    14.2(16) 141      Palisades Tahoe 8013 29.8    15.8    189    29.6    19.2    154      Marlette Lake 7884 15.8    7.1    223    18.1    9.9    183      Hagans Meadow 7742 15.1    4.8    315    19.6    8.6    228      Echo Peak 7653 30.8    12.6    244    38.2    18.6    205      Rubicon #2 7619 18.3    7.8    235    23.1    11.8    196      Tahoe City Cross 6797 9.7    4.3    226    23.5    11.0    214      Ward Creek #3 6745 20.5    9.3    220    36.2    21.3    170      Fallen Leaf 6242 9.1    1.9    479    23.6    10.0    236    Basin Index (%) 233    187    CARSON RIVER   Ebbetts Pass 8661 27.4    11.5    238    30.8    16.6    186      Horse Meadow 8557 17.3    6.6(17) 262    17.0    7.9(17) 215      Heavenly Valley 8534 19.6    7.9    248    21.2    9.2    230      Carson Pass 8355 20.3    9.4(16) 216    20.0    14.2(16) 141      Monitor Pass 8306 16.5    4.5    367    14.7    6.4    230      Burnside Lake 8129 20.6    7.9(17) 261    22.6    14.0(17) 161      Blue Lakes 8067 21.7    8.5    255    21.7    12.1    179      Forestdale Creek 8017 24.6    10.5(17) 234    27.2    16.5(17) 165      Marlette Lake 7884 15.8    7.1    223    18.1    9.9    183      Hagans Meadow 7742 15.1    4.8    315    19.6    8.6    228      Poison Flat 7736 19.1    4.6    415    20.3    9.0    226      Spratt Creek 6063 6.6    1.6    412    21.7    9.2    236    Basin Index (%) 265    191    WALKER RIVER   Leavitt Lake 9604 34.4    18.5    186    29.7    16.7    178      Virginia Lakes Ridge 9400 12.4    4.1    302    12.7    6.8    187      Summit Meadow 9313 17.0    6.0(17) 283    13.4    7.8(17) 172      Lobdell Lake 9249 15.1    4.2    360    14.8    6.9    214      Sonora Pass 8770 18.4    7.0    263    20.1    9.3    216      Monitor Pass 8306 16.5    4.5    367    14.7    6.4    230      Willow Flat CA 8215 -M    N/A    *   -M    N/A    *     Leavitt Meadows 7198 10.9    3.2    341    22.2    9.8    227    Basin Index (%) 263    200    KLAMATH RIVER   Annie Springs 6010 18.3    14.6(20) 125    24.2    27.8(20) 87      Big Red Mountain 6050 8.8    9.5    93    20.6    19.4    106      Billie Creek Divide 5280 9.5    8.5    112    20.7    21.8    95      Chemult Alternate 4850 7.1    4.4    161    10.0    10.0    100      Cold Springs Camp 5940 10.5    10.4    101    15.4    23.1    67      Crazyman Flat 6180 10.5    6.8(19) 154    11.8    12.2(19) 97      Crowder Flat 5170 3.3    1.6(21) 206    6.6    5.2(21) 127      Diamond Lake 5280 4.6    6.1    75    18.0    19.6    92      Fish Lk. 4660 4.4    5.2    85    17.4    17.0    102      Fourmile Lake 5970 11.5    9.8    117    20.8    23.2    90      Gerber Reservoir 4890 1.8    1.2(22) 150    6.5    5.2(22) 125      Howard Prairie 4580 2.8    N/A    *   13.0    N/A    *     Quartz Mountain 5720 2.8    0.9(27) 311    8.2    5.4(17) 152      Sevenmile Marsh 5700 13.1    9.8    134    24.7    25.6    96      Silver Creek 5740 7.2    4.0    180    10.1    9.4    107      State Line 5680 4.7    N/A    *   8.0    N/A    *     Strawberry 5770 5.5    2.4    229    9.0    7.3    123      Summer Rim 7080 7.1    6.6    108    8.2    9.2    89      Sun Pass 5400 11.4    7.2(14) 158    15.6    16.4(14) 95      Swan Lake Mtn 6830 15.1    8.0(13) 189    17.2    14.0(13) 123      Taylor Butte 5030 5.3    3.2    166    8.4    6.6    127    Basin Index (%) 131    98

-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.