California records second-ever snowless April 1 at key location: 'The frozen reservoir is empty'
When scientists arrived to measure snow on a California mountain, there was none, something that's only happened once before in the historical record.
For only the second time in recorded history, no measurable snow was found at Phillips Station, California, on April 1 during the California Department of Water Resources' snow survey. It was the worst number on record except for April 1, 2015 when there was no snow on the ground at all.
The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) measures the snowpack at Phillips Station, California on April 1, 2023 (left), and April 1, 2026 (right).
This time of year, snowpack is often at its maximum there, and in 2023, there were 54 inches (4.5 feet) at that location on April 1.
"According to automated sensors across the Sierra Nevada, this year’s statewide snowpack likely reached its peak on or near February 24," the CDWR reported. The CDWR blamed the lack of snow on March's record heat, which melted what little snow fell in the area over the winter, closing ski resorts in the state early.
On average, California’s snowpack supplies about 30 percent of the state's water needs, so measuring California’s snowpack, by hand or with automated instruments, is a key component of water management. California’s snowpack is often referred to as the state's "frozen reservoir" due to the mountains' ability to store water in snow for long periods.
"It feels like we skipped spring this year and dropped straight into a summer heatwave," said CDWR Director Karla Nemeth. "What should be gradual snowmelt happened suddenly weeks ago."
Satellites show snow in the central California mountains melting between Feb. 27 and April 5, 2026.
Statewide, the snowpack is now just 18 percent of historical average for this date, according to the automated snow sensor network, CDWR says. Northern California snowpack percentage tied the all-time record low in 2015, while the Central and Southern California numbers were just above those record historical lows.
"Although DWR and its partners in the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program are completing additional surveys across the Sierra Nevada, preliminary data indicates this year’s April 1 snowpack is the second lowest on record," CDWR said on their website.
