Placer County Water Agency: Local snowpack grew in April - 211% of average PULL QUOTE: "May is typically when the snow starts to melt, but it's been a lot colder this year than in previous years. That has kept a lot of that snow from melting. As the summe

Despite a heatwave toward the end of the month, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) reported the local snowpack grew slightly in April. On May 1, PCWA officials visited the organization's four snow courses and measured an average of 40.8 inches of snow, which is 211 percent of the historical average this time of year. That is an 8 percent increase from April's numbers. "May is typically when the snow starts to melt, but it's been a lot colder this year than in previous years," said Ross Branch, PCWA public affairs manager. "That has kept a lot of that snow from melting. As the summer progresses and things heat up, we expect to see that snow melt." What does this mean for PCWA? According to Branch, it means the water agency has plenty of water and its reservoirs are filling up. On April 20, PCWA held a webinar which addressed the state of its water supply. "The snow survey helps us get a picture of what we are expecting on the water supply," said Shane Motley, PCWA director of energy marketing manager and staff meteorologist. Motley explained the snow survey, which occurs monthly between January and May, is how the water agency takes a snapshot of current conditions to prepare for the water supply at all times during the year. "We have to figure out how much is in that snowpack so as we go through the summer months we can maintain and manage how much water we can expect," Motley said. This year, the agency utilized data from a newer technology to aid in its snowpack predictions. Utilizing lidar (light detection and ranging) from an aircraft with specialized camera equipment, the water agency was able to visualize the reflectivity of the snow, which helps them determine how easily that snow will melt. The snapshot the lidar provided revealed just how much snowfall had accumulated in the Sierra, including snowfall at much lower elevations this season. "This coupled with the snow tubes you can get a much better sense of the snow water content across the entire region," Motley said. "You need all the data combined to paint a complete picture to know how much water will make its way to the reservoir." As a result of the bigger snowpack, Motley warned those watching the webinar of the impact expected in area riverbeds. "We are expecting some very high and some very, very cold flows this summer," he said. "So everyone out there please be careful when you're visiting the area rivers." He estimated the snowmelt will peak within the months of May and June and increase "substantially" if the weather quickly transitions to warmer temperatures. "The snowpack is prime and ready to melt," he said. "We'll see those river levels increase faster and faster over time." After Governor Gavin Newsom's March 24 executive order easing some drought restrictions, PCWA is now asking its customers to "use water wisely." "We are no longer implementing Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan, and we are asking customers to use water wisely," said Linda Higgins, PCWA deputy director of customer services. "Climate change is making the swings (from wet-weather years to hot drought years) more extreme and so we want to preserve the new surface water we just received." She suggested customers should focus on being water wise with their landscaping and aiming to not waste water in their homes. "Most residential use of water is through landscaping," Higgins said. "If you skip a shower, it saves 18 gallons of water. If your lawn skips a shower, it saves 80 gallons." Higgins added there are many incentive programs, which include rebates for customers looking to make their landscaping more water wise. She said the water agency also has a service for customers to help detect leaks. Looking ahead, Motley said while California weather is hard to predict, meteorologists are starting to lean toward another wet winter. "It's still a coin toss at this point of the year," he said. "But hopefully, we are looking at a slightly wetter year." Whether next winter holds more precipitation or not, Motley said the focus of PCWA officials is to maximize the water coming into reservoirs. "We have to be very careful of how we manage it," he said. "We don't just want to maximize it for this year but for next year. There is a careful balance we are doing to make the best that we can out of the good situation we are currently in."