Valley grower reacts to state's first 2025 snowpack survey
Jan 02, 2025
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The year's first snowpack survey is complete, and so far it is not looking too bad for Central Valley farmers - but Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen warns that it is too soon to tell what the season really will bring.
"It's very early right now to be too excited," he said.
Thursday's survey is just the first of the year, but it is substantial because it shows us where California stands so far.
"This first survey of the year is the indicator of what's to come. I mean, it's not necessarily going to tell us all the way what's going to happen come April, but it gives us a good idea of kind of where we're headed. Right now, the news is positive," he said.
Officials with the state's Department Of Water Resources spent Thursday at Phillips Station in the central Sierra Nevada, measuring just how much snow the state has gotten so far. As of now, the results show California's snowpack stands at 110% of average for this time of year and 39% of average of where we should be by April 1. But, for us in Central California, our mountains have not gotten quite as much snow.
While the state's data shows the Northern Sierra snowpack is more than 160% of average for this time of year, the Central Sierra is much less at 94% and the Southern Sierra is even lower at 75%.
Still, Jacobsen said it is still early, and we would be in great shape if we continue to see storms move through. However, he warns if that does not happen, we would be in major trouble.
"If storms start to shut off, and we've seen that just a few years ago, I think is back in '21, the storm series to shut off in January. And it really is one of the driest years on record. And so we're really hoping that that's not the case," he said.
He added that these surveys are important for us at home who need water in our cities, but even more so for valley growers.
"Food grows where water flows. This water is what feeds this valley agriculture. And so it's so important for us to have that healthy snowpack that leads to better water allocations, that allows us to do what we do here so well in San Joaquin Valley," Jacobsen said.
The next survey will get released on February 3rd.