A wet and snowy December may set the stage for what’s ahead this winter – or not. California’s winter is notorious for weather extremes. Some January’s have delivered abundant precipitation while others have been bone dry.
The latest map shows less of the state under extreme drought conditions mostly in the Central Valley and portions of Southern California. The water content of the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack is at 72 percent of average for this time of winter. The snowpack usually is at its deepest and most water-laden around April 1st.