California Needs More Storms, Groundwater To Avoid Prolonged Drought, Experts Say Listen Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. Sean de Guzman, chief of snow surveys for the California Department of Water Resources, measures the depth of the snowpack during the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Randall Benton / AP Photo Northern California was walloped at the end of January by the winter’s first big storm, which poured heavy rain and loads of snow across the region. That was great for the snowpack in the Sierra, which supplies around a third of California’s water needs.