Dry Spell Expected to Persist Until Mid-February, or Longer

Dry Spell Expected to Persist Until Mid-February, or Longer

It's turned into an unusually dry winter for Northern California, and that pattern, thanks to a ridge of high pressure, is going to continue for at least the first 10 days of February.As the Chronicle meteorology team tells us, the dry and balmy conditions will be with us through Super Bowl Weekend and beyond, continuing a pattern that has left the Sierra snowpack mighty low. This abnormally dry winter comes on the heels of the good news that, a…

California Statewide Snow Measurements Reveal Below-Average Accumulation

Dry January wasn’t just a sober month for people looking to start the year out on a healthy note, it also pretty accurately describes California’s precipitation levels so far in 2026. The state’s Department of Water Resources on Friday conducted the second snow survey of the rainy season at dozens of locations in the Sierra Nevada and found that the snowpack is 59% of average for this date. Also, the measurements show the statewide snowpack’s sn…

Statewide snow measurements reveal below-average accumulation after dry January

Dry January wasn’t just a sober month for people looking to start the year out on a healthy note, it also pretty accurately describes California’s precipitation levels so far in 2026. The state’s Department of Water Resources on Friday conducted the second snow survey of the rainy season at dozens of locations in the Sierra Nevada and found that the snowpack is 59% of average for this date. Also, the measurements show the statewide snowpack’s sn…

February 2026 State of the Western U.S. Snowpack: Trending in the Wrong Direction

Mammoth, California, is one area that is still slightly above average snowpack. | Photo: Mammoth Mountain Across much of the U.S., this winter has struggled to build a consistent snowpack, with February levels tracking well below what is typical for this point in the season. A pattern of weaker storms and inconsistent cold has limited both snowfall totals and the long-term base needed to support a strong spring snowpack. Related: Mt. Hood Skibo…