Following winter storms that lashed California with rain and snow in recent weeks, the state is completely free of drought for the first time in 25 years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.The last time California had no regions considered “abnormally dry” or in drought conditions was in December 2000.The state’s drought-free status is welcome news for water managers, but residents in some regions are still recovering from a series of punishing atmospheric river storms that brought intense rain and flooding. Areas in higher elevations, meanwhile, have contended with heavy snow and risk of avalanches.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOver the course of about a week beginning Dec. 20, parts of Northern California received up to 7 inches of precipitation, while up to 4 inches fell in southern parts of the state. Then, as New Year’s Day approached, the state was hit once more with several rounds of heavy rain and flooding. Together, the events pushed California’s 17 major reservoirs to 129% of their average levels, according to state records.Steve Wogoman carries Christmas presents from his granddaughter’s flooded home following heavy rains Dec. 22 in Redding, Calif. (Noah Berger / AP)The wet winter has boosted California’s snowpack, which is crucial to its water supply, though the snowpack is still lower than average. The California Department of Water Resources said at the end of December that readings from 130 monitoring stations throughout the Sierra Nevada indicated a statewide snow-water equivalent (a measure of the amount of water in the snowpack) of 6.5 inches, which is 71% of the average for this time of year.Officials remain hopeful, however, given that California’s biggest snow producing months are typically January, February and March.“It is still early in the season and our state’s water supply for this year will ultimately depend on a continued cadence of storms throughout winter and early spring,” Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, state hydrometerologist for the Department of Water Resources, said in a statement Dec. 30.Advertis …
