For First Time in Months, California Isn’t Totally in Drought

(Bloomberg) -- The rain and snow that swept parts of California in the past three months are making a small dent on the drought in the parched state.

A total 99.3% of California was classified to be in drought as of Jan. 4, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. That marks the first time the state has fallen below 100% drought conditions since May, driven by changes around Del Norte County in the northwest corner of the state.

A series of Pacific storms have piled up snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains and brought heavy rains across lower parts of Northern California since October. Nine of California's 12 largest reservoirs are still below normal levels for this time of year, according to the state's Department of Water Resources.

Forecasters are concerned that a larger shift in weather patterns across the U.S. could lead to at least a short-term end of the rain and snow storms so vital to replenishing California's water supplies. The eastern U.S. is forecast to get cooler, while the South has a higher risk of rain, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Meanwhile the western U.S. has a greater chance to be drier through Jan. 15.

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