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After a week that brought rain and snow to San Diego County, an update from the KPBS Drought Tracker shows statewide rain totals growing at a steady pace, but the Sierra snowpack struggling to keep up. We’re now close to halfway through California’s wet season, defined as the six months between Oct. 1 and April 1. So far, statewide rainfall is running a bit ahead of schedule. As of Monday morning, the state has received 58 percent of what normally falls by the beginning of April.

The United States Congress this past weekend approved the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Water Rights Settlement Act. Written by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42), the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act was included in broader water resources and infrastructure legislation that was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 360-61 and by the Senate with a vote of 78-21. Both votes were held last week.  The measure now heads to President Obama for signature.

The new leader of the region’s leading watchdog group for water quality is putting elected officials on notice that pollution from businesses could land local governments in court. “We get screwed because the cities are not doing enough to control the industrial pollution,” said Matt O’Malley, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, referring to the intractable problem of stormwater runoff contaminating the region’s streams, beaches and other waterways.

You can stop dreaming about a white Christmas. We’re going to have one. The second storm of the week will arrive in San Diego County Friday night and will drop 4’’ to 6’’ of snow above the 4,500-foot level by noon on Saturday — Christmas Eve. The National Weather Service says lower regions — including Julian — will get an inch or two of snow. Most of the white stuff should still be on the ground on Sunday — Christmas Day. The system will push ashore from the northwest and deposit an inch or more of rain along the coast, and 1.5’’ to 2’’ across the eastern foothills.

One by one, big trees are disappearing, the sound of songbirds replaced by the buzz of chain saws and crews cleaning up dead branches. According to the U.S. Forest Service, 102 million trees have died in forests across California since 2010 due to heat, drought and infestation from beetles and other bugs. Many heritage oak trees in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding open spaces are turning brown and falling over.