With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Has Any Of This Wonderful Rain And Snow Helped Alleviate California’s Drought Conditions?
Even though California's seen a fair bit of precipitation, nearly the entire state is still experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
(
U.S. Drought Monitor
/
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu
)
Topline:
This weekend, Southern California could see yet another storm bring anywhere from one to five inches of rain, and given how dry California’s been, it's felt downright decadent to have multiple early season storms dropping loads of rain and snow. But the drought persists and there’s no guarantee the wet weather will continue.
Just a normal amount of rain: While Los Angeles has seen slightly above average precipitation over the past two months, California as a whole is still lagging behind its historic average, and is still experiencing widespread drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
What about our reservoirs? Reservoir levels across California are still quite low, though they’ll rise as the snowpack melts. A good bit of snow has fallen in the Sierra Nevada, which is important because that’s the source of a significant portion of the state's water. That said, we still need lots more snow to fall if we’re going to hit our historic rainy season average by April 1.
Support for LAist comes from
The bottom line: “We have this cumulative deficit problem that we don’t really think about in California, because we think if it’s raining, the drought is over. It’s not!” said Jeffrey Mount of the Public Policy Institute of California. This is a good start to the rainy season, but the coming months and years matter.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
Best of LAist