Reuters: California’s mountain snowpack is only at 80 percent of normal, despite recent snowstorms, and is far from enough to ease a prolonged drought, making water conservation measures a necessity, state officials said on Monday. The drought is forcing municipal water rationing and sharp cutbacks in irrigation supplies to farmers. “Although recent storms have added to the snowpack, California remains in a serious drought,” said Lester Snow, director of the state’s Department of Water …