California has a snowpack trifecta for the first time in 25 years

The annual April snow survey is considered the most important in the Sierra Nevada because it's when the snow season typically peaks.

The most recent survey has brought some welcome news: This year marks the first time in a quarter-century that the state has a snowpack trifecta -- meaning it's the third consecutive year of average or above-average snowfall.

Before the previous trifecta 25 years ago, the one before that had occurred 20 years prior.

This year, California may have started out with a mostly dry winter but late-season storms resulted in a near-average snowpack -- and a third straight year of abundant water supply.

This follows the state's driest period on record, from 2020 to 2022.

And while this was a notably dry year for Southern California, water experts have invested in ways to bring water from other areas -- including Northern California and the Colorado River -- to the region.

Because of that and conservation efforts, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California says it currently has the highest amount of water banked in its history.

"This often goes unappreciated but the local conservation effort and conservation ethic here in Southern California is alive and well," said Demetri Polyzos, a resource planning manager with the MWD. "And so those habits that folks in Southern California picked up during the most recent droughts -- we're seeing that continue. And that's part of the equation for us to be reliable."