Yesterday, Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, found 24.5 inches of snow water equivalent at Phillips (echo summit, hwy 50, 6,800′, near Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, near South Lake Tahoe) yesterday.  That’s 130% of average to date (average is 19.5″).

Last year, Frank recorded a water content of just 2.5 inches in the February survey.  This means that we’re seeing near 10x the snowfall we saw last year on this date at Phillips.

The California Department of Water Resources has 102 electronic snowpack measuring stations throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.  Statewide, as of yesterday, those 102 stations were reporting 20.4″ of snow water equivalent or 114% of average for yesterday’s date.

Boom!

CALIFORNIA SNOWPACK UPDATE as of FEB 2ND, 2016:

• 120% of average in Northern Sierra

• 116% of average in Centra Sierra (Tahoe/Mammoth)

• 106% of average in Southern Sierra

• 114% of average Statewide

TOP 5 CALIFORNIA SKI RESORT SNOWFALL TOTALS:

#1 = Sugar Bowl = 363″

#2 = Boreal = 317.5″

#3 = Sierra-at-Tahoe = 313″

#4 = Northstar = 308″

#5 = Kirkwood = 304″