TUBING — Chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program Frank Gehrke, right, and Elizabeth Scott of the Department of Water Resources, take a snow measurement Wednesday in an open meadow at Phillips Station along Highway 50. Wednesday's measurment showed there was 15.6 inches of snow and a total of 3.8 inches of water, which is 19 percent of normal. On an average year there would be "three to four feet of snow at this location said Gehrke. "Statewide, we are at 30 to 40 percent of average, much lower than we really need." The one bright spot, said Gehrke, is that "We came into this season with reservoir storage quite a bit above average Compared to last year, It's like night and day, a huge difference," said Gherke. Democrat photo by Pat Dollins

Chief of the California Cooperative Snow Survey program Frank Gehrke heads out into an open field at Phillips Station to take a snow measurement . Democrat photo by