Monday January 5, 2026
The New York Times —
Heavy rain and snow has pounded California in recent weeks, causing floods, power outages, mudslides and other disruptions. But the storms have also filled reservoirs and deepened the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, easing drought concerns in a state that is perpetually worried about not having enough water.
The near-constant pace of storms so far this winter has brought the state above-average precipitation, driving the storage level in most of California’s water reservoirs to well above normal for this point in the rainy season. Measurements show virtually no drought in the state.