# California snowpack Statewide snow water equivalent vs the 1991-2020 median _Data through Jul 25, 2026 · source last checked Jul 26, 2026 · page revised Jul 26, 2026_ > Snow season over — last quoted Jun 21, 2026. > 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 snowpack peaked at 14.7 in of snow water equivalent on Feb 19, 67% of the normal peak of 21.7 in. The snow year is complete. Water-year precipitation totaled 37.0 in, 102% of the 1991-2020 median. ## The numbers | 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 | 37.0 in (102% of median) | ## 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 (31 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. ## 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 period: Daily reading, aggregated across reporting SNOTEL stations - Last observation: Jun 21, 2026 - Update frequency: Daily in season (Oct-Jun); melts out by mid-summer --- Cite: California snowpack: 14.7 in on Feb 19, 2026 as of Jul 25, 2026 (USDA NRCS SNOTEL, basin-index SWE). The Waterline. https://the-waterline.com/snowpack/california Canonical URL: https://the-waterline.com/snowpack/california