California Department of Water Resources (DWR) second manual snow survey of the winter was taken this week. Above-normal temperatures and below-normal snowpack in the last days of January points to a fourth year of drought characterized by a lack of precipitation and much warmer than normal temperatures. Calendar year 2014 was the warmest ever in California since record-keeping began in the 1800's. The early-December 2014 storms blew in on warm weather. Snowpack which satisfies 30% of California's water needs in normal years is far below its average water content in late January. That average has shrunk in the past month as above-normal temperatures on California's coast, Central Valley and in the mountains is 27% of normal for this date, down from 33% of normal in December 2014. Averaged throughout the state, precipitation is 25% of normal at the end of Jan. 2015.

• Water Year 2014 was the state's third driest in 119 years of record, based on statewide precipitation.
• 103 stations statewide record water conditions.
• NOAA reported that in the first nine months of 2014, California temperatures averaged 63.7º F, or 4.1º F above the 20th century average of 59.6 ºF.
• Temperatures from April to September 2014 averaged 70º F, breaking the old record for the period of 69.4º F set in 2013.
• Due to the extended dry period and forecasters' inability to predict the drought's end, DWR is delivering a record low 5% of the requested amount of State Water Project water.
• Federal Central Valley Project has reduced deliveries to zero for some junior rights holders.

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