Monday’s snow survey at Phillips Station tells a more positive story than it did before the recent storm, but totals are still well below average. Despite the recent late-winter storm that brought much-needed snow to the Sierra Nevada, the snow water equivalent (SWE) is 9.4 inches, which is 39 percent of normal for early March. “California has unquestionably experienced a dry winter this year, with a near-record dry February,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth.