Amid Severe Drought, California Snowpack Hits 5-Year High

Across California, the snowpack is at 115 percent of the average for this time of year. That is the highest since 2011 when it reached 129 percent, according to measurements from the California Department of Water Resources.

In April, when Gov. Jerry Brown gave a press conference on the state of the drought, the average snowpack was only 5 percent of the average for that time of year. The current increase is likely brought on by recent El Niño storms and, while reservoirs remain below average, the snowpack is a good sign for the future.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with hydrologist Roger Bales of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute for his analysis of what the snowpack levels may mean for the ongoing drought.

Guest

• Roger Bales, a hydrologist at the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California, Merced.

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