Snowpack deeper than last year’s

State officials on Tuesday reported a deeper Sierra snowpack than last year but cautioned that California needs a much wetter winter to recharge its water supplies.

The state Department of Water Resources reported from its first snow survey of the season, taken at an elevation of 6,800 feet near South Lake Tahoe. The snow depth measured 41 inches, compared with 29.2 inches a year ago, while the water content was 83% of normal.

Electronic sensor readings taken throughout the range show the overall water content of the Sierra snowpack at 76% of normal, compared with 60% last year.

“While today’s conditions are an improvement over last year’s initial snow survey figures, the strain on California’s water supply persists,” Lester Snow, director of the Department of Water Resources, said in a statement.

Measurements of snow depth and snow water content are important because they help hydrologists forecast water supplies and deliveries for the coming year. A series of winter storms boosted the snowpack just before Christmas, but officials say it’s too early to tell whether the wet weather will continue in the months ahead.