California drought update: Interactive map shows latest ahead of atmospheric river storm

The recent deluge of rain and snow across California was enough to improve long-term drought conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor wrote in its latest update.

Thanks to months of gloomy wet weather, more than half of the state is drought-free.

But there’s still work to be done.

Last week, more than 83% of the state was at least abnormally dry. Now, it’s at 73%. Roughly 43% of the state has at least moderate drought — an improvement over last week’s 49.1% — and 19% remains in severe status, down from roughly 25%.

The state has been free of both “extreme” or “exceptional” drought for more than two months.

An estimated 5.5 million people are living in drought-stricken conditions. Large portions of Northern California, as well as the majority of Inyo and San Bernardino counties, remain in “severe” and “moderate” drought.

Some good news: Parts of the central Sierra, foothills, Central Valley and the entire coast have exited drought conditions.

The information used in this interactive map, collected from the U.S. Drought Monitor, was updated Thursday with data through March 7. Here are the drought conditions in California. See where your area lands:

When will it rain and snow again in California?

The wet weather is nowhere near over.

Another “atmospheric river” storm is coming for California, bringing heavy amounts of rain, wind, thunderstorms and snow.

In Northern California, the heaviest rain could start between Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 8 feet of snow could fall across the Sierra and southern cascades.

Roadway flooding and mudslides are possible. Mountain travel is highly discouraged.

SNOWPACK LEVELS

According to the Department of Water Resources, 48 stations in the Central Sierra Nevada are reporting at 199% of normal on Thursday.

Peak snow season is generally on April 1. As of Thursday, snowpack throughout California is 187% of the average.

UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded roughly 50 feet of snow since Oct. 1, making this the fifth “snowiest year” on record.

This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 10:51 AM with the headline "California drought update: Interactive map shows latest ahead of atmospheric river storm."