The Golden State is Fully Free of Drought for the First Time in Two and a Half Decades.
After a quarter-century span, every region of the state is enduring dryness. This landmark event comes on the heels of difficult years marked by below-average rain that exacerbated fire dangers and pressured its massive agricultural sector.
An Update Indicates Zero Drought
The latest assessment from the U.S. Drought Monitor confirmed that all of California is free from any level of drought. This development came after weeks of above-normal rainfall that helped fill water storage sites like the state's largest lakes far beyond their typical levels.
“To those aged 25 and below you’ve always lived in a world where California has been in or emerging from drought,” noted a weather expert.
After Severe Systems to Rainy Seasons
The path to this point included intense and deadly winter storms that struck the state in the not-too-distant past, leading to extensive inundation, blackouts, and deaths. While those storms helped ease the drought, they did not eliminate it.
Until late December, pockets like the state's northeast corner were still classified as experiencing dryness. Substantial precipitation at the start of the new year washed away those remaining dry spots.
The Vital Sierra Snow Presents a Challenge
However, authorities caution that the end of drought status does not mean being out of the woods. Latest data of the Sierra Nevada snowpack place it at only about 70% of the historical norm.
This frozen reservoir, which supplies a significant portion of the state's water as it runs off, is a critical factor for future water availability. State experts point out that it is too early to draw conclusions for the months ahead.
“What we are observing right now is increased rainfall over snowfall,” said a California water official. “We’d like to see the snow accumulation to increase by the start of April so that we’re approaching the typical mark.”
While the drought map shows a clean slate, attention turns to sustaining this hard-won hydrological health during the coming seasons.
