FACT BRIEFWas 2026 Tahoe's worst snow season ever recorded?
No.
For the Eastern Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe region, 2015 had less snow than 2026.
As of April 1, the snowpack in the Lake Tahoe Basin was 17 percent of median — in 2015, it was 10 percent of median.
However, for the rest of the state and across much of the West, it was the lowest snowpack on record.
There was no miracle March this year for water managers and skiers, although the Sierra notched sizable snow totals in April. Snow totals are measured through April 1, however, so that snow doesn't count toward 2026 totals.
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