🔗 Share this article California is Fully Free of Drought for the First Instance in Two and a Half Decades. For the first time in 25 years, every region of the state is experiencing dryness. This significant achievement comes on the heels of difficult years marked by below-average rain that exacerbated fire dangers and challenged its enormous farming industry. An Update Shows Zero Abnormally Dry Areas The latest assessment from the national drought tracker showed that the entire state is clear of any level of drought. This shift came after a period of heavy precipitation that topped up water storage sites like Oroville and Shasta well above their typical levels. “If you’re 25 or younger you’ve only known in a world where California has been in or emerging from drought,” noted a local meteorologist. From Intense Storms to Wet Holidays The path to this point involved powerful and fatal winter storms that battered the state in recent years, resulting in significant overflow, blackouts, and deaths. While those storms helped ease the drought, they weren't enough to erase it completely. Even into late December, regions like northeastern California were considered abnormally dry. Substantial precipitation at the start of the new year eliminated those remaining dry spots. Essential Mountain Snowfall Presents a Challenge But, experts warn that drought-free conditions does not mean being out of the woods. Latest data of the mountain snow accumulation place it at roughly seven-tenths of the average for this date. This snowpack, which supplies approximately 30% of the state's water as it thaws later in the year, is a critical factor for long-term water security. Water officials point out that it is premature to make predictions for the coming year. “What we are observing right now is increased rainfall over snowfall,” commented a California water official. “The goal is the snow accumulation to increase by 1 April so that we’re closer to average.” While the drought map is entirely green, the focus now shifts to preserving this positive water situation for the rest of the year.
For the first time in 25 years, every region of the state is experiencing dryness. This significant achievement comes on the heels of difficult years marked by below-average rain that exacerbated fire dangers and challenged its enormous farming industry. An Update Shows Zero Abnormally Dry Areas The latest assessment from the national drought tracker showed that the entire state is clear of any level of drought. This shift came after a period of heavy precipitation that topped up water storage sites like Oroville and Shasta well above their typical levels. “If you’re 25 or younger you’ve only known in a world where California has been in or emerging from drought,” noted a local meteorologist. From Intense Storms to Wet Holidays The path to this point involved powerful and fatal winter storms that battered the state in recent years, resulting in significant overflow, blackouts, and deaths. While those storms helped ease the drought, they weren't enough to erase it completely. Even into late December, regions like northeastern California were considered abnormally dry. Substantial precipitation at the start of the new year eliminated those remaining dry spots. Essential Mountain Snowfall Presents a Challenge But, experts warn that drought-free conditions does not mean being out of the woods. Latest data of the mountain snow accumulation place it at roughly seven-tenths of the average for this date. This snowpack, which supplies approximately 30% of the state's water as it thaws later in the year, is a critical factor for long-term water security. Water officials point out that it is premature to make predictions for the coming year. “What we are observing right now is increased rainfall over snowfall,” commented a California water official. “The goal is the snow accumulation to increase by 1 April so that we’re closer to average.” While the drought map is entirely green, the focus now shifts to preserving this positive water situation for the rest of the year.