Interactive map shows California drought conditions after latest atmospheric river storm

California continues to create distance from its “historic drought-stricken” label with record-level snowfall, rain and filling reservoirs.

More than 63% of the state is drought-free, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most of the central Sierra, foothills, Central Valley and the entire coast have exited drought conditions.

Large portions Southern California are drought-free.

Here’s what drought conditions looked like in September 2022 compared to March 2023, with graphics by the U.S. Drought Monitor pulled, provided by the National Weather Service:

On the flip side, California is struggling to contain all of its new water.

Thousands of residents were evacuated in the Monterey County community Pajaro after heavy rainfall caused a levee break along the Pajaro River in central California.

Rain, low elevation melted snowpack and dam releases caused high water along many of California Central Valley waterways, the U.S. Drought Monitor wrote.

Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir, holds 81% more water than this time last year, according to the National Weather Service. For the first time since 2019, officials opened the main spillway at Lake Oroville.

To add to the list: Whale Rock Reservoir in the city of San Luis Obispo is spilling for the first time in roughly 18 years.

According to the Department of Water resources, several of California’s reservoirs have surpassed their historic average. The majority of the reservoirs are more than halfway filled.

Is California still in a drought?

California’s water storage at the end of February was 96% of the historical average for this time of year, compared to Colorado’s at 46% of the average, the U.S. Drought Monitor wrote.

But there is still work to be done.

Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor estimated more than 5 million people are living in drought-stricken conditions. Large portions of Northern California as well as the majority of the desert region including Inyo and San Bernardino counties remain in “severe” and “moderate” drought.

Last week, more than 73% of the state was at least abnormally dry. Now, it’s at 55.3%. Roughly 36% of the state has at least moderate drought — an improvement over last week’s 43.1% — and 8.5% remains in severe status, down from roughly 19%.

The state has been free of both “extreme” or “exceptional” drought since January.

The information used in this interactive map, collected from the U.S. Drought Monitor, was updated Thursday with data through March 14. Here are the drought conditions in California. See where your area lands:

When will it rain and snow again in California?

Enjoy the dry conditions while you can because another batch of rain is coming to an already drenched California.

Some rain is forecast to fall between late Friday night and Saturday in Northern California, then another round of light sprinkles could fall Sunday into early next week.

According to the Department of Water Resources, 47 stations in the Central Sierra Nevada are reporting at 227% of normal on Thursday.

Peak snow season is generally on April 1. As of Thursday, snowpack throughout California is 219% of the average.

UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded nearly 56 feet of snow since Oct. 1 and is just 3 inches away from labeling this the second “snowiest” on record.