Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Mono Basin snowpack is 200% of average for February 1

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

February 1 snow surveys conducted over the past week revealed an approximately 200% of average snow water content in the Mono Basin. This puts the April 1 average at just over 120%.

Outlook for April 1, 2017 peak snowpack at the Mono Basin's five snow courses based on February 1 snow surveys and historic data.
The current outlook for April 1, 2017 peak snowpack at the Mono Basin’s five snow courses based on February 1 snow surveys and historic data. Graph by Greg Reis.

It is still early in the season, but even with a dry February and March, it will be an above-average year, and with an average end to the season it will be a wet year. With a wet February and March, new April 1 records could be set!

7 Comments

  1. I am really glad to hear about it!

    Please post pictures as the water level rises. I was there in 1989. A magical place.

    Thank You,
    Audie

  2. Visited Mono last June. Loved it. We were fortunate to get there during a summer between good snowfalls. Yosemite falls were flowing well, and the tufa at Mono was fantastic. Will there be less Tufa showing this year, and will Tioga Pass be closed longer? We were fortunate indeed.
    We appreciate all of you and your hard work that protects Mono.
    Long Live Mono.

  4. This year’s abundant precipitation is a wonderful gift, but let us not become complacent a fall back to water-wasting ways.

  5. I live in San Diego, but follow all your news and visit every couple of years or so, often with out-of-state/country friends! Happy to see all the water California and Mono Lake are getting this winter. Thank you for all the great work you are doing to save and restore this wonderful place!

  6. Such wonderful news! I have been watching with interest this year as California has had more rain. I first visited from the UK in 1989 and then revisited in 2013 when I became a supporter. Thank you for all the work you do and your long battle with the DWP. Let’s hope it doesn’t make people complacent.