If there’s concern about California’s wet winter turning dry, consider it shushed. The heaps of snow over the past week on top of the parade of deluges in early January have been extraordinary and left much of the state with well-above-average precipitation for the season. The winter storms, which account for the bulk of the state’s rain and snow, are forecast to continue into next month, virtually ensuring a good water year for California. But just how far one year will go to relieving what has been one of the West’s most excruciating droughts is less clear. While many parts of the state are benefiting from brimming rivers and reservoirs, the three previous years, which saw record low precipitation, as well as several painfully dry years over the past two decades, have burdened the state with a gaping water deficit.

Related articles: 

• San Francisco Chronicle: Could California snowpack break records?
• Sacramento Bee: How much rain and snow fell in Northern California storm? Here are the latest totals
• Washington Post: California snowpack nearing record levels as blizzard batters mountains
• Los Angeles Times: Before-and-after photos from space show storms’ effect on California reservoirs
• ABC 7 – Bay Area: CA reservoir levels show signs of improvement after recent winter storms
• KTLA – Los Angeles: Latest winter storm boosts California’s astounding snowpack; drought conditions improving
• Forbes: Another ‘Extreme’ Snow Storm To Pummel California Before Moving East—Here’s What To Expect 
• Yahoo News: How climate change is making California’s weather more extreme
• KPBS – San Diego: Current rainy season could be a drought buster, forecaster says