California is drought-free for the first time in more than three years because of a remarkably wet, snowy winter and a rare tropical storm over the summer. The last remaining traces of drought disappeared in October, as autumn rainstorms grazed the northwestern corner of the state.
Last year at this time, California faced a deepening water crisis amid “extreme” and “exceptional” drought, and officials feared another dry winter because of La Niña, the climate pattern that tends to reduce precipitation in southern and central California. It was the culmination of the three driest years on record, a period defined by parched reservoirs, heat waves and record-breaking wildfires.
“We saw just a tremendous winter that we hadn’t seen in a long time,” Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb., said. “Not only did that bring moisture into the water projects — the reservoirs and lakes across the state — but it also did wonders for replenishing moisture in the ground and the soils.”
The drought-busting year featured 32 atmospheric rivers — plumes of water vapor that can deliver torrential rain and are key for California’s water supply. Unusually cool weather helped to build one of the state’s most massive snowpacks on record, which melted slowly over the spring and summer, filling reservoirs and avoiding dire flood scenarios. In August, [Tropical Storm Hilary brought record-breaking summer rainfall](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/08/23/hilary-storm-forecast-damage/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8) to Southern California, wiping out lingering drought in the desert regions.
Most of California received 8 to 12 inches of surplus precipitation during the water year, Fuchs said. Parts of the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and Southern California were 16 to 20 inches above normal, or even higher.
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California is drought-free for the first time in more than three years because of a remarkably wet, snowy winter and a rare tropical storm over the summer. The last remaining traces of drought disappeared in October, as autumn rainstorms grazed the northwestern corner of the state.
Last year at this time, California faced a deepening water crisis amid “extreme” and “exceptional” drought, and officials feared another dry winter because of La Niña, the climate pattern that tends to reduce precipitation in southern and central California. It was the culmination of the three driest years on record, a period defined by parched reservoirs, heat waves and record-breaking wildfires.
But, [defying predictions](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/01/15/california-seasonal-forecasts-noaa-missed/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5), last winter was exceptionally wet. Now, major reservoirs sit at 125 percent of their average levels, [heading into an El Niño winter](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/10/19/winter-weather-forecast-noaa-el-nino/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5) that tilts the odds toward another wet year. The first significant storm of the season could arrive next week.
“We saw just a tremendous winter that we hadn’t seen in a long time,” Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb., said. “Not only did that bring moisture into the water projects — the reservoirs and lakes across the state — but it also did wonders for replenishing moisture in the ground and the soils.”
The drought-busting year featured 32 atmospheric rivers — plumes of water vapor that can deliver torrential rain and are key for California’s water supply. Unusually cool weather helped to build one of the state’s most massive snowpacks on record, which melted slowly over the spring and summer, filling reservoirs and avoiding dire flood scenarios. In August, [Tropical Storm Hilary brought record-breaking summer rainfall](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/08/23/hilary-storm-forecast-damage/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8) to Southern California, wiping out lingering drought in the desert regions.
Most of California received 8 to 12 inches of surplus precipitation during the water year, Fuchs said. Parts of the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and Southern California were 16 to 20 inches above normal, or even higher.
There is hope that the bounty could extend for another year, with[ a moderate to strong El Niño likely in place well into winter](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/10/13/el-nino-california-winter-forecast/?itid=lk_inline_manual_12) and a chance it could build into [one of the strongest ever](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/09/26/super-el-nino-forecast-winter/?itid=lk_inline_manual_12). Such events substantially increase the odds of a wet winter, but they don’t guarantee one.
**Read more, free with email registration:** [**https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/11/08/california-is-drought-free-first-time-years-what-it-means/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com**](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/11/08/california-is-drought-free-first-time-years-what-it-means/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
Shhh. Don’t jinx us.