One-third of California’s water supply in summer depends on how much snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the north of the state in winter.
When researchers from the state’s Department of Water Resources measured the snowpack at a research station near Lake Tahoe on Thursday, they found it be only 14% of the average for this time of year, Inside Climate News reports.
“We’re on that track” again, he said.
The state, which ended its official drought state of emergency less than a year ago, is not willing to go that far.
The state will likely wait several more months before it officially declares a drought, if it comes to that.
Swain says the snowpack will likely continue to decrease in coming weeks, as the forecast calls for higher temperatures.
In Southern California, regional drought has already returned.
Roughly 44% of the state is experiencing “moderate” drought conditions.
The most important snowpack reading is yet to come: April 1 typically marks the height of the snowpack in the Sierras, the period after a full winter’s worth of snowfall just before the spring melt begins.
At the April 1 reading during the 2014-2015 season, there was literally no snow on the ground.