It’s still early in the season, but this image of the current snowpack across most of the western states makes for good reading. As winter approaches, the latest snow water equivalent data from December 4 reveals a varied snowpack across the Western United States, with some states experiencing exceptional early-season conditions while others lag behind. Oregon is leading the charge with remarkable snowpack levels. Many basins report snow water equivalents of 2-300% of the median, with one area reaching 950%. After a great start to the season, Washington has reverted to the mean and is just above average. California and Nevada are not far behind Oregon, with all basins above average, the highest being 210% in California and 227% in Nevada. Last week’s atmospheric river that dumped feet of snow on the Sierra Nevada has made a huge difference.

Related weather article:

• San Francisco Chronicle: How a jet stream ripple from the Himalayas could help end California’s recent dry spell