How ‘March Miracle’ replenished California’s reservoirs, snowpack

Up to another foot of snow is expected in the Sierras over the next two days as yet another storm moves through.

Dubbed by some as the "March Miracle," the storms have helped replenish reservoirs and created a winter wonderland as April approaches. Snow levels in the northern Sierra are now above average. The snow is not enough by any measure to end the drought, but it's making a dent.

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This month's rains have bumped the 154 reservoirs tracked by the state up from about 17 million acre-feet of stored water at the end of February to about 21.5 million acre-feet now, said state hydrologist Maurice Roos.

That puts California at about 81% of the end-of-March-average, he said.

The water content in the state's snowpack is also important because when the snow melts, the water runs off into the reservoirs. The snowpack on Thursday stood at 92% of normal and is expected to still be slightly below average when surveyors perform their March 30 measurement.

The State Water Project is faring better. On Thursday, the Department of Water Resources increased its allocation from 30% to 45%, citing the boosted reservoir levels.

Here are some snapshots from social media:

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