The 2018-19 California water year will close with some good and some great news. June 30, 2019, marks the end of the California water year, which began July 1, 2018. The water year got off to a slow start, but then ramped up around January and February throughout California. In particular, the Sierra Nevada mountains saw a big increase in snow during February. The snowpack is an important part of the California water cycle, serving as our above ground savings account for water. During the warmer months, this snow melts providing water downstream to the rest of the state.