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Heat wave could speed up California’s already thin snowpack melt

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Published  March 15, 2026 2:09pm PDT
Weather
KTVU FOX 2
Partly cloudy, cool morning before temperatures shoot up

Partly cloudy, cool morning before temperatures shoot up

Sunday morning in the Bay is expected to be comfortable, but afternoon temperatures are going to soar into the low to mid 80s for some communities.

The Brief

    • This year’s snow pack is on track to finish the season below average.
    • While the snow is sparse this season, California’s major reservoirs are sitting at capacity and the entire state is still drought free.
    • Officials say the bigger concern will come if we have a second consecutive dry year.

OAKLAND, Calif. - This year’s snow pack is on track to finish the season below average, but the California Department of Water Resources says it’s not quite time to panic.

Big picture view:

While the snow is sparse this season, California’s major reservoirs are sitting at capacity and the entire state is still drought free, at least for now.

Officials say the bigger concern will come if we have a second consecutive dry year.

What's next:

A healthy snow pack typically melts out by the end of July, but this year’s below average totals combined with this week’s historic heat wave will likely accelerate the process.

The final snow pack survey of the year is April 1.

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