Chart Shows How California Reservoir Changed After Winter Storms

Lake Shasta's months-long decline has started to level off thanks to several rainstorms that soaked northern California this month.

The lake, which is California's largest reservoir, reached nearly 100 percent capacity in May after its water levels were in a dire state since 2019 due to a prolonged drought in the state.

Levels leapt 60 feet in January as an abnormally wet winter accompanied by more than a dozen atmospheric rivers soaked the Golden State, and the levels continued to rise until they reached 1,064 feet in late May, just 3 feet short of full pool. The levels have steadily been declining since then, but a slew of December rainstorms have slightly improved them, according to a chart by lakesonline.com.

As of Friday, the lake was at 1,010 feet, nearly two feet higher than mid-December.

On December 20, the Shasta Marina Resort at Packers Bay posted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, that depicted rain showers over Lake Shasta. A rainbow also descended into the lake.

"The water is pouring in and we are on the rise!!!!" the post said.

Then, earlier this week, a strong, low-pressure system blew through the Pacific Northwest. The storm brought high winds through western Oregon and northern California and dangerous waves along the Pacific coast, and light rain accompanied the storm as well.

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Idamis Shoemaker told Newsweek that the NWS Sacramento office doesn't track rainfall totals for Lake Shasta specifically. However, nearby Redding, California, which is 15 miles south of the lake, has received 6.22 inches of rain so far in December, roughly half an inch more than the monthly average of 5.73 inches.

More rain is on the way, too, meaning lake levels could continue to rise. Shoemaker said that a system will bring "widespread rain" to the region on Friday and Saturday. Forecasts predict that Redding will receive 1.5 inches to 2 inches of rain.

Lake Shasta could see a positive start to the New Year, as well. The NWS Sacramento office forecasted a fast-moving system moving over northern California from January 2 to January 4, although the office added that "a lot is still uncertain with this system."

It is unclear if California will experience another wet winter like it did last year, although El Niño could influence the weather pattern in southern California and across the southwest U.S. El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warm waters in the Pacific. It often brings excessive moisture to the southwest region during winter months.