ECHO SUMMIT, Calif. (AP) — It's official, and it's not good news for thirsty Californians: January and February have been the driest on record. Thursday's monthly snow survey showed what widely has been known: despite a few good dumps the state hasn't received the kind of major storms needed to ease water managers' worries. Official measurements by the Department of Water Resources show the snowpack at 29 inches, about 57 percent of average. California's Sierra Nevada snowpack provides about one-third of the water used in the state. The survey is anticipated by farmers and cities that depend on snowmelt to supplement water supplies. Still, there is potentially good news coming next week. The National Weather Service forecasts a sizeable storm that could bring more than two-feet of snow across the Sierra Nevada.
