California Governor Gavin Newsom tossed on some snowshoes and trekked to the Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada to take part in the states snow survey and was on hand for some good news.
California Department of Water Resources engineer, Andy Riesing, says the recorded snow depth was 64 inches (approximately 113% of the April 1 snowpack average). The above average measurement marks a dramatic turnaround from earlier surveys thanks to the storms that have inundated the sierra for the past two months (January 1st statewide Sierra snowpack stood at only 28% of the average).
Newsom was relieved about the news but warned Californians should still be judicious with their water consumption:
“You can take a deep breath this year, but don’t quadruple the amount of time in your shower.” -Gov. Gavin Newsom
Here’s a full stream of the survey from the California DWR: