California snowpack gets a boost from series of December downpours

Water stored as snow during the winter months feeds waterways in the summer and supplies cities and farms

A series of December storms delivered a welcome boost to California's snowpack, scientists said on Tuesday in a closely watched assessment of the state's water resources for the year ahead.

The snowpack survey recorded a snow depth of 24in (61cm), said Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, state hydrometeorologist at the California department of water resources' snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit. The survey was conducted at the Phillips station in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range that covers the eastern part of the state.