Snowpack 97% of Average in California's Northern Sierra
New spring survey shows some drought relief but more conservation is needed to ensure adequate water supply.
California's five-year drought isn't over yet, but the state's snowpack now stands at 97 percent of its historical average, according to a measurement taken today in the Sierra Nevada.
A year ago, Governor Jerry Brown stood at the same monitoring point and didn't see a single snowflake. The snowpack was just 5 percent of average then, the lowest ever recorded, prompting him to declare a statewide emergency and order urban areas to slash water use by 25 percent.
Today's measurement is considered the year's most important because it comes at the time of maximum snow depth. In normal years, California gets about 30 percent of its water supply from the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which melts gradually, releasing water down rivers and into
