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Dry January means less water than normal in California snow

California Drought Snow Survey
Posted

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The water contained in California's mountain snow is now at 92% of its historical average after a January without significant amounts of rain or snow.

That's a dramatic swing from December, when heavy precipitation put the snowpack's water content at 160% of the average. The state Department of Water Resources issued snow measurements on Tuesday and officials will physically measure the snow at a station in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The low January precipitation is disappointing news for California, which needs a wet winter to reduce drought conditions. Much of the state is still in severe drought though overall conditions have improved since last winter.

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Day

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Precip

Sunday

07/06/2025

Mostly Sunny

97° / 70°

0%

Monday

07/07/2025

Sunny

101° / 67°

0%

Tuesday

07/08/2025

Sunny

100° / 68°

0%

Wednesday

07/09/2025

Sunny

98° / 70°

0%

Thursday

07/10/2025

Sunny

101° / 73°

0%

Friday

07/11/2025

Sunny

106° / 75°

0%

Saturday

07/12/2025

Sunny

105° / 75°

0%

Sunday

07/13/2025

Sunny

105° / 76°

0%