A string of early-season storms that drenched Californians last week lifted much of the state out of drought and significantly reduced the risk of wildfires, experts say. … Overall, the state is at 186% of its average rain so far this water year, according to the Department of Water Resources. … The [Central Sierra Snow Lab] research station at Donner Pass has recorded 22 inches of snow. Although that’s about 89% of normal for this date, warmer temperatures mean that much of it has already melted. … The snow water equivalent, which measures how much water the snow would produce if it were to melt, now stands at 50%.

Other weather and water supply news around the West:

• Aspen Public Radio: Snowpack off to a slow start in the Rockies, but wetter soils could be a promising sign
• San Francisco Chronicle: Tahoe is mostly dry, but some ski resorts have tons of snow out West
• Newsweek: California water levels compared to this time last year
• Phoenix New Times: Phoenix sees wettest fall on record with week to spare
• NASA: World of Change blog: Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada