Snow Today

Continuing the trend of recent months, the western United States received significant snowfall in February 2023, helping to improve drought conditions in the West. Despite dominance of a La Niña conditions, current snowpack patterns resemble those characteristic of El Niño years.

A series of atmospheric rivers significantly increased snow-covered area and snow water equivalent in the California Sierra Nevada, and to a lesser extent the delivery of snow inland to Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Snow-covered area for the western United States was 125 percent of average for January with above average snow cover in most regions.

Snow-covered area for the western United States was 119 percent of average for May with above average snow cover in the North outbalancing below average snow cover in the South. Snow cover days remained well below average...

Snow-covered area for the western United States was 104 percent of average for April, with more snow-covered area in the North than in the South. But snow cover days indicate a relatively dry year since October 1, 2021.

Snow-covered area for the western United States was 97 percent of average for March but varied regionally with above-average area in central continental regions and below-average area in coastal and northern regions.

Across the western United States, the snow cover maximum for 2022 occurred on February 24, a few weeks later than average. Snow-covered area was 88 percent of average for February. Snow water equivalent was below average...