Is California really 100% drought-free for the first time in 25 years? Yes and no. Here's why.
California is currently classified 100% drought-free by the U.S. Drought Monitor for the first time since 2000, driven by three wet winters and broadly distributed precipitation.
California needs more snow accumulation to bolster 2026 water supplies, officials say
California has ample reservoir storage and rainfall, but Sierra Nevada snowpack is roughly half last year and 50–71% of average, risking future water supply uncertainty.
Bay Area weather: No rain is forecast through Christmas - Is it time to worry about drought?
An atmospheric river hit Washington and Oregon while California remains unusually dry, risking an extended early-winter dry spell and weak Sierra snowpack.