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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab @UCB_CSSL

The CSSL is a research station of UC Berkeley specializing in snow physics, snow hydrology, meteorology, and climatology. The lab is at an elevation of 6894 ft.

Joined April 2021
  • Tweets 2,301
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  • Followers 23,566
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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab retweeted
California Department of Water Resources
@CA_DWR
May 1
Despite some snow showers in April, California’s snowpack remains low, at just 21 percent of average for May 1. Just like one month ago when members of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit recorded the second lowest April 1 measurement on record for this location, the survey site at Phillips was bare ground today. Although April storm activity has helped mountain watersheds retain some moisture, this year’s snowpack still peaked back in February – over a month earlier than average. Snowmelt runoff for this spring and summer is still forecasted to be far below normal. #California #SnowSurvey
The California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

ALT The California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

A drone view of where the California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

ALT A drone view of where the California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

The California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

ALT The California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

A drone view of where the California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

ALT A drone view of where the California Department of Water Resources skipped its May snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada due to a lack of snow. The site, where four previous media snow surveys were held for the 2026 season, is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken May 1, 2026.

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4/22/26 10:30am Update: 🌎 HAPPY EARTH DAY! 🌏 We have 8.3" (21 cm) of new #snow this morning and 11.8" (30 cm) total from this storm. We're expecting another 1-2" today. Our next chance at some snow is this weekend. #weather #CAwater
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4/21/26 9:30am Update: #Snow began early this morning and we've accumulated 3.5" (9 cm). We are expecting 1-2 feet total from this storm. Right now we have moderate to heavy snowfall rates with low winds but speeds are expected to increase this afternoon. #weather #CAwater
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4/13/26 9:45am Update: 1-day ❄️: 21.1" (20 cm) 2-day ❄️: 34.6" (34.5 cm) 3-day ❄️: 42.5" (53.5 cm) This has been great to create a late-season snowpack. Unfortunately, record warm temps this winter means that we're still well below average for the water year. #CAwater #weather
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*cm conversions had typos. Here are the actual numbers: 1-day ❄️: 21.1" (53.5 cm) 2-day ❄️: 34.6" (88 cm) 3-day ❄️: 42.5" (108 cm) The numbers were right in our data but we copied them to the website wrong. Must have mushy brains from working all weekend!
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4/12/26 9:35am Update: Heavy #snow started yesterday evening and continued into the night, bringing 13.6" (34.5 cm). That brings our 2-day snow total to 21.5" (54.5 cm). Snowfall and low visibility are still present and we're expecting another 5-10" by tomorrow. #weather #CAwx
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4/11/26 9:45am Update: We received 7.9" (20 cm) of wet, dense #snow over the last day. Our next storm, shown coming on shore in the GOES-West weather satellite imagery, will bring colder temps and more snow (18-36") to us this evening through Sunday. #weather #CAwater
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3/10/26 2:50pm Update: Cooler temps moving in means we're seeing rain change to #snow a bit earlier than expected. The biggest benefit of switching earlier is that it'll cool the ground surface, enabling more snow to stick early on and bigger accumulations. #weather #CAwx
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*Whoops, 4/10 update. Typo.
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3/10/26 2:50pm Update: Cooler temps moving in means we're seeing rain change to #snow a bit earlier than expected. The biggest benefit of switching earlier is that it'll cool the ground surface, enabling more snow to stick early on and bigger accumulations. #weather #CAwx
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4/8/2026 3:35pm Update: Winter isn't over yet! Although we're expecting rain over the next couple of days, colder temps will move in this weekend and it will change to #snow. There's currently some good agreement between models with current Fri-Sun totals around 18-24". #CAwx
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UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab retweeted
Rob Mayeda
@RobMayeda
Mar 26
Unsurprisingly “abnormally dry” conditions expanded in California this week. Next week’s rain, mountain snow and cooler temps should apply the brakes on the rapid March dry out / melt out. #CAwx 3/26/2026
Rob Mayeda
@RobMayeda
Mar 24
With about a week to go the Bay Area is closing in on an all-time warm and dry March. It’s the warmest March since 2004 and currently the driest but that might change just before the month ends w/ ☔️ 🏔️ stay tuned. 3/24/2026 @nbcbayarea
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👀 KEEP DOING YOUR #SNOW DANCE!
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3/18/26 10:25am: Our #snow water equivalent is now in the bottom 10% for this time of year. The warm temps have resulted in substantial melt over the last couple of weeks that has accelerated with the record-breaking temps we've had in the past two days. #weather #CAwater
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The plot shows snow water equivalent at CSSL (black line) compared to the min (red line), max (blue line), and median (green line). Shading ranges from: min to 10th percentile (red), 10th - 30th (yellow), 30th - 70th (green), 70th - 90th (light blue), and 90th - max (dark blue).
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3/16/26 10:40 am: Record-breaking high temps are forecasted for the next several days, which will accelerate snowpack melt. Given current melt and lack of #snow in the forecast, we may see melt-out as early as the first week of April, ~5 weeks earlier than normal. #CAwx
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🚨 Snow Lab Big Give Alert 🚨 We’re raising funds for 2 important things: 🎓 Training the next gen of snow scientists 🚙 A much-needed field vehicle Because snow science requires students… and occasionally a truck. ⏰ Ends tonight at 9pm ❄️ Support: tinyurl.com/givecssl
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2/26/26 10:50am: As expected, the ~1.7" increase in SWE* from this week's rain was temporary and exited through the bottom of the snowpack. In fact, the warm storm melted some of the snowpack, so we are now at 19" rather than the 19.7" at the end of last week's snowfall. 1/2
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2/2 Certainly not ideal from a water storage perspective. Not much in the forecast in terms of precipitation, unfortunately. *SWE is the amount of water that can be obtained by melting the snowpack. #CAwx #CAwater
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2/20/26 8:35 am Update: #snow has stopped but not before giving us 18.5" (47 cm) in the last day. That brings our 5-day total to 111" (281.5 cm), third snowiest 5-day period on record at the lab*. Calm conditions for the next several days but a warmer storm moves in mid-week.
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*The other two being December 1970 (113") and April 1982 (118.5") with digitized records beginning in 1970.
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