California’s Reservoirs Are Full, But Will This Winter Be Wet Or Dry?

Like every autumn, October is bringing cooler weather, changing leaves and pumpkins to fields across California. But unlike the past five years, when a historic drought gripped the state, there’s something new across the landscape: full reservoirs. From a water supply standpoint, California is heading into this winter’s rainy season in much better shape than any year since 2011. San Luis Reservoir, the massive inland sea between Gilroy and Los Banos that provides key supplies for Central Valley farmers and cities from San Jose to San Diego, is 86 percent full. A year ago it was only a quarter full.