California Snowpack Jumps to Nearly 160% of Average, Nourishing Hopes for Drought Recovery

After a year of historic drought and wildfire, California will go into 2022 cold and wet, with more snow on the ground than it has had at year’s end in a decade.

State water officials, who plan to conduct the first snow survey of the winter on Thursday, are expected to find the snowpack across California’s mountains measuring close to 160% of average for the date.