The Golden State is Completely Free of Drought for the First Time in a Quarter Century.
After a quarter-century span, no portion of the state is experiencing water scarcity. This landmark event follows difficult years marked by a lack of precipitation that exacerbated fire dangers and strained its enormous farming industry.
An Update Shows No Drought
Thursday's report from the federal monitoring program showed that California in its entirety is without drought or abnormal dryness. This shift was driven by a period of heavy precipitation that topped up key lakes like Oroville and Shasta well above their historic averages.
“To those aged 25 and below you’ve only known in a world where California has been entering or recovering from drought,” noted a local meteorologist.
After Severe Systems to Rainy Seasons
Achieving this status included intense and deadly winter storms that battered the state in recent years, leading to widespread flooding, blackouts, and tragic losses. Even though those events began to alleviate the drought, they did not eliminate it.
Until late December, pockets like the state's northeast corner were deemed abnormally dry. Heavy rains at the start of the new year washed away those final dry conditions.
A Crucial Snowpack Is Below Average
However, hydrologists note that drought-free conditions should not be confused with having no water worries. Latest data of the Sierra Nevada snowpack show it at approximately 70 percent of the historical norm.
This snowpack, which supplies approximately 30% of the state's usable water as it melts in the spring, is a key piece for future water availability. State experts stress that it is too early to make predictions for the coming year.
“What we are observing right now is more rain than snow,” commented a hydrology section chief. “Our hope is for the snow accumulation to increase by 1 April so that we’re closer to average.”
While the drought map shows a clean slate, the focus now shifts to maintaining this hard-won hydrological health for the months to come.
