California has received a much-needed boost to its snowpack levels as a series of storms continue to hit the state. The first storm arrived over the weekend, and two more are expected throughout the week, bringing heavy snow and rain. This comes as welcome news for California, which had been grappling with drought conditions for years, resulting in depleted reservoirs.

At the beginning of the year, snowpack levels in California were significantly lower than expected. However, thanks to a series of atmospheric rivers that brought torrential rain and heavy snowfall, the state's snowpack is now near 100 percent of its average. The recent storms have caused the average snowpack in California to skyrocket since early January.

The second storm in the series is expected to hit by Wednesday, impacting the northern half of California and neighboring states such as Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Weather expert and storm chaser Colin McCarthy predicts that the storms will bring several more feet of snow across the Sierra, with the potential for a major storm to impact southern California next weekend. Preliminary forecasts indicate up to 2-3 inches of rain across southern California, with the possibility of 5+ inches in the mountains. Resorts in the mountains can also expect significant snowfall.

According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state's snowpack in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains jumped by 5 percent over the weekend, reaching 115 percent of the normal level. The central Sierra Nevada mountains have a snowpack of 99 percent of normal, while the southern mountains are at 91 percent of normal. Collectively, the statewide snowpack stands at 102 percent of normal.

The improved snowpack is crucial for California, as it plays a vital role in supplementing the state's water supply when hot, dry weather arrives. With approximately a third of California's water supply relying on snowmelt, a depleted snowpack could lead to water struggles in the future. However, with the current increase in snowpack levels, the state can breathe a sigh of relief.

The California Department of Water Resources is closely monitoring the situation. Looking ahead, Colin McCarthy predicts a brief break from wet weather after the upcoming storms, followed by a possible return to an unsettled weather pattern around the first weekend of April. This next round of storms is expected to push California's snowpack close to 110 percent of the average peak on April 1, marking one of the most remarkable snowpack recoveries in modern California history.

As the snow begins to melt in the spring, the state's reservoir levels are expected to rise further, bolstering the water supply. Many of the reservoirs are already in a much-improved condition compared to the water levels in 2022.

Overall, the consecutive storms have breathed new life into California's snowpack, offering hope for a more secure water supply in the future. The state continues to benefit from this backloaded winter, witnessing a remarkable recovery from the initial low snowpack levels seen at the start of the year.