Nevada depends on snow melt from the mountains for its water supply, so scientists from the USDA closely monitor snow levels throughout the winter to help water managers and farmers plan their water use for the year ahead.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is part of the USDA, operates more than 80 automatic snow telemetry sites, or SNOTELs, in Nevada. Once a month, from January to May, department staff manually verify the data from SNOTEL sites and publish a report detailing the status of the snow pack.
Jeff Anderson is a hydrologist with the NRCS based in Reno. He just conducted his first survey of the season and says snow levels are in good shape, although overall precipitation for Northern Nevada is lower than average after a dry fall.
Jeff Anderson, hydrologist, Natural Resources Conservation Service