Snowpack
Snow season overCalifornia snowpack
Statewide snow water equivalent vs the 1991-2020 median
Data through Sep 2, 2026 · source last checked Sep 10, 2026 · page revised Sep 3, 2026
Cite
- This snow year
- 1991-2020 median
About this data
- Source
- USDA NRCS SNOTEL (Air-Water Database)
- Series
- Snow water equivalent (WTEQ), basin-index percent of the 1991-2020 median
- Geography
- California
- Unit
- in
- Calculation
- Daily reading, aggregated across reporting SNOTEL stations
- Last observation
- Jun 21, 2026
- Update frequency
- Daily in season (Oct-Jun); melts out by mid-summer
Snow year complete. California's snowpack peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent around Feb 19, 2026, 67% of the normal peak. The 2027 snow year begins October 1.
California's 2026 snow year peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent on Feb 19, 67% of the 1991-2020 median peak of 21.7 in. The snowpack has melted out by Sept 2, leaving essentially no water stored as snow. Water-year precipitation totaled 36.3 in, 102% of median, so despite the below-normal snowpack peak, overall water supply was slightly above normal.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This season's peak (SWE) | 14.7 in on Feb 19, 2026 |
| Normal peak (1991-2020 median) | 21.7 in |
| Peak vs normal peak | 67% |
| Percent of median at last snow reading | 0% (Jun 21, 2026) |
| Water-year precipitation to date | 36.3 in (102% of median) |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 26, 2026
California's snowpack peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent on Feb 19, 2026, 67% of the normal peak. Water-year precipitation totaled 36.0 in, 101% of the 1991-2020 median, indicating above-normal water input. The snow year is complete; the 2027 snow year begins October 1.
Week of Aug 19, 2026
California's snowpack peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent on Feb 19, 2026, 67% of the normal peak. Water-year precipitation to date was 36.0 in, 102% of the 1991-2020 median.
An earlier week
California's 2026 snow year peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent, 67% of the normal peak of 21.7 in. Snowpack is now gone by mid-August, as typical for the season. Water-year precipitation totaled 36.0 in, 102% of median, offsetting the below-normal peak.
Week of Aug 13, 2026
California's snowpack peaked at 14.7 inches of snow water equivalent on Feb 19, 67% of the 1991-2020 median peak of 21.7 inches. The season ended with both series at zero by late June. Water-year precipitation was 35.9 inches, 102% of the median, so the shortfall in peak snowpack did not trace to a precipitation deficit.
About California snowpack
Snow water equivalent (SWE) is the depth of water held in the snowpack, and it is the single number that best predicts the coming spring and summer runoff. Depth alone can mislead: a deep, dry snowpack can hold less water than a shallow, dense one.
The Waterline reads California's snowpack from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL network using the standard basin-index method. It sums the current water content across every reporting SNOTEL station in California (32 on the latest reading), divides by the sum of those same stations' 1991-2020 medians for the date, and reports the ratio as percent of median, so a deep high-elevation site counts for more than a shallow valley one and a station with no long-term normal never distorts the number. The inch figures shown here are the average snow water equivalent across those reporting stations.
Snow builds from about October, normally peaks near April 1, and melts out by early summer. Once the normal snowpack for the date nears zero, percent of median stops being a meaningful number, so this page reports the season's peak instead of a percentage until the snow returns.