Following a drought at the beginning of winter, California’s period of rainfall has finally commenced.

In December, heavy rain caused flooding in the streets of coastal Ventura County and Santa Barbara. In late January, San Diego experienced flash floods. This month, back-to-back storms fueled by atmospheric rivers caused wind damage in Northern California and numerous mudslides in Los Angeles. Another storm occurred over the Presidents Day weekend.

The regular heavy downpours have prevented the state from experiencing a return to the dry conditions that have affected it for the last ten years. Certain areas of California are currently so saturated that even Death Valley National Park has a large enough body of water for kayakers. However, the state is not expected to have a repeat of last year’s record-breaking rainfall. Additionally, the mountain regions have not received as much snowfall.

Here is an overview of California’s current winter season:

The downtown area of Los Angeles has experienced approximately 17.8 inches (45.2 centimeters) of rainfall, surpassing the average amount for an entire year. This measurement is taken from October 1st to September 30th of the following year. According to the National Weather Service, this makes it the fourth rainiest February in downtown since weather tracking began in 1877.

However, even though there has been record-breaking rainfall in Southern California, it is uncertain if the entire state will be considered exceptionally wet for the year.

Northern California is currently nearing its usual yearly amount of precipitation, with roughly six weeks left in the rainy season. According to Jay R. Lund, the vice-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis, this makes it difficult for the region to experience exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Lund stated that our current level of wetness is sufficient to prevent a severe drought year. Additionally, he mentioned that years with excessive rainfall are significantly wetter than our current situation.

The crucial winter snowpack in the Sierra Nevada region, typically responsible for approximately 30% of California’s water supply when it thaws, has shown signs of improvement after a sluggish beginning.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Water Resources reported that the water content in the snowpack was 86% of the usual amount for this time of year and 69% of the average amount on April 1, which is typically the peak.

On January 30, the water level was only 52% of the typical amount for that date. This is significantly lower than the previous year, where it was approximately 200% of the average due to frequent atmospheric rivers that brought an end to California’s driest three-year period on record.

Despite a slow start to the current rainy season, the water levels in California’s main reservoirs have remained higher than usual due to the runoff from last year’s record-breaking snowfall.

Certain reservoirs are currently discharging excess water into nearby rivers in order to create space for potential stormwater and ensure that areas further downstream remain protected from flooding.

On Wednesday, the Department of Water Resources stated that the State Water Project is predicting that water agencies serving 27 million individuals will receive 15% of the supplies they requested. This is an increase from the initial 10% allocation announced in December.

The department stated that the evaluation does not account for the effects of storms in the current month, and the allotment may be subject to further adjustments in mid-March.

The biggest reservoir of the State Water Project, Lake Oroville, was currently holding 134% of its usual amount. However, the department pointed out that the Northern California headwaters of the project experienced lower-than-average rainfall during the last two months.

On Wednesday, federal authorities announced that contractors for the Central Valley Project, a government-operated system that provides water to large agricultural areas, will be granted 15% of their requested water supplies. However, this allocation may be subject to change depending on future rainfall.

Source: wral.com