Are We Headed for a Drought?

Much needed rain is falling in California, easing some worries over another impending drought. Concerns grew earlier this year when snow surveyors from the Department of Water Resources reported that California’s snowpack was among the driest in decades—measuring 19 percent of average.

The low-snowpack wasn’t surprising. Rain and snow levels were well below normal throughout California. Cities like Sacramento and Fresno had not received rains since December and November, respectively.

California’s water woes are a major concern for the state’s top leaders like Governor Brown, who in 1976 battled one of the worst droughts in the state’s history during his first term as Governor. In his recent State of the State address, he reiterated  his commitment “to the dual goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and ensuring a reliable water supply.”

Despite the record-low precipitation levels during the first half of winter, experts are not  ready yet to declare a drought. This is due in part to last year’s bountiful rain, which filled the state’s reservoirs to capacity.

“Fortunately, we have most of winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin in a press release.

With more rain in the forecast will there be enough rainfall to make up for the lack of precipitation in the first half of winter? Time will tell. But skiers looking for fresh powder in Lake Tahoe will take whatever snow they can get. As will farmers throughout the Central Valley whose livestock and crops depend on ample rain.