California is Completely Free of Drought for the First Instance in 25 Years.

For the first time in 25 years, not a single part of the state is facing water scarcity. This milestone arrives after challenging years marked by a lack of precipitation that worsened fire dangers and challenged its enormous farming industry.

A Chart Shows An Absence of Abnormally Dry Areas

Thursday's report from the federal monitoring program confirmed that California in its entirety is without dry or drought conditions. This change came after weeks of heavy precipitation that topped up key lakes like Oroville and Shasta well above their long-term norms.

“If you’re 25 or younger you’ve spent your life in a world where California has been entering or recovering from drought,” noted a local meteorologist.

After Severe Systems to Soggy Celebrations

The path to this point included severe and lethal winter storms that pummeled the state in recent years, causing widespread flooding, blackouts, and deaths. While those storms began to alleviate the drought, they weren't enough to erase it completely.

As late as late December, areas like the state's northeast corner were deemed unusually parched. Substantial precipitation at the start of the new year eliminated those remaining dry spots.

The Vital Sierra Snow Remains a Concern

But, hydrologists note that being out of drought should not be confused with complete water security. Latest data of the Sierra Nevada snowpack show it at approximately 70 percent of the historical norm.

This snowpack, which accounts for a significant portion of the state's water as it thaws later in the year, is a key piece for future water availability. Hydrology managers have emphasized that it is premature to determine the outlook for the months ahead.

“The trend we’re looking at right now is a higher ratio of rain to snow,” commented a hydrology section chief. “Our hope is for the snow accumulation to improve by April 1st so that we’re nearer to normal.”

While the drought map shows a clean slate, the next challenge is to preserving this hard-won hydrological health throughout the rest of the year.