(FOX40.COM) -- The California Department of Water Resources released the results of the final and most consequential snowpack results of the season. The April measurement is a critical marker for water managers across the state because it is usually when the snowpack reaches its maximum volume a nd begins to melt, according to DWR. Water supply forecasts use data from snowpack to calculate how much snowmelt runoff will eventually make its way into California’s rivers and reservoirs. Kern County residents notch top times in 2025 Bakersfield Marathon The manual April snow survey was conducted at the Phillips Station in Lake Tahoe on March 28. It recorded 39.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17 inches, 70 percent of the location's average. “It’s great news that our state’s snowpack has recovered from several weeks of extremely dry conditions in the heart of our winter storm season,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “However, it’s not a wet year across the entire Sierra Nevada. The north has great snowpack, but snowpack is less than average in the central and southern part of the mountain range. That snowpack ultimately flows to the Delta, and the regional disparity affects how much water the State Water Project will be able to deliver.” New bill proposed to stop large tax increase on California cannabis industry Before storms in February and March, California was experiencing an excessively dry January that stalled critical growth of the snowpack and contributed to the dangerous conditions that led to devastating wildfires in Southern California, according to DWR. “We are very thankful to be ending March where we are now with more snow in the forecast next week, especially considering the dry start to the year,” said Andy Reising, manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. “From major storms in November and December to a bone-dry January, then back to major storms in February and March, this year is a lesson in why we can never know for certain what our water picture will look like until we get to the end of our traditional wet season.” ...read more read less