The Golden State is Entirely Free of Drought for the First Time in Two and a Half Decades.
After a quarter-century span, every region of California is facing dryness. This milestone follows grueling years marked by insufficient rainfall that worsened blaze threats and challenged its huge agribusiness.
An Update Shows No Dryness
The latest assessment from the national drought tracker illustrated that all of California is without any level of drought. This development was driven by multiple significant storms that topped up key lakes like Shasta and Oroville well above their long-term norms.
“To those aged 25 and below you’ve spent your life in a world where California has been grappling with drought,” noted a climate scientist.
Following Powerful Weather to Wet Holidays
The journey here included intense and deadly winter storms that pummeled the state in the not-too-distant past, causing widespread flooding, power outages, and tragic losses. While those storms began to alleviate the drought, they weren't enough to erase it completely.
Even into late December, areas like northeastern California were deemed abnormally dry. Subsequent downpours at the beginning of January washed away those last vestiges of dryness.
A Crucial Snowpack Is Below Average
But, experts warn that being out of drought is not the same as complete water security. Recent measurements of the Sierra Nevada snowpack show it at approximately 70 percent of the historical norm.
This frozen reservoir, which accounts for a significant portion of the state's water supply as it thaws later in the year, is a key piece for future water availability. Hydrology managers have emphasized that it is not yet time to determine the outlook for the months ahead.
“The trend we’re looking at right now is a higher ratio of rain to snow,” commented a hydrology section chief. “We’d like to see the snow accumulation to improve by 1 April so that we’re approaching the typical mark.”
Although the monitor shows a clean slate, the next challenge is to sustaining this precious water balance for the coming seasons.