01/12/2026
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Following winter storms that lashed California with rain and snow in recent weeks, the state is completely free of drought for the first time in 25 years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The last time California had no regions considered “abnormally dry” or in drought conditions was in December 2000.
The state’s drought-free status is welcome news for water managers, but residents in some regions are still recovering from a series of punishing atmospheric river storms that brought intense rain and flooding.