California water officials reported a good start to the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada but are also saying more snow is needed through the rest of winter to stay on track.

Snowpack in the mountains of California is near average for this time of year, after a recent series of storms provided a much-needed boost to the region, officials reported Thursday. The season’s first manual snow survey recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent — the amount of water contained in snow —

California is beginning 2025 with a solid start to the winter snowpack, but more storms are needed to keep the state’s water supplies on track.

California’s first snowpack measurement of 2025 on Thursday showed promising figures for the water year, complemented by high storage levels in some of the state’s most critical reservoirs. However, uneven snow distribution across the Sierra Nevada highlighted lingering concerns as the state moves into its peak precipitation season.

The start of another new year means another series of snow surveys conducted by the California Department of Water Resources. And many times over the years, questions arise as to why the state measures the snowpack and why it even matters to the everyday person.

Thanks to a series of early winter storms, the first official survey of the season on Thursday found the vital California snowpack at a near-average level.