Southern California’s “Godzilla” El Niño never arrived, but the rain that did fall gave the state some relief from the drought, officials said this week.

Although the southern half of the state missed out on much of the rainfall, the northern half got more than average this winter. And the state did a better job of storing water and ensuring it gets to where it’s needed most, officials said. As a result, regulators in Sacramento will recommend this month that the state stop dictating to municipal water agencies how much water they need to save during the drought, Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, announced Monday.