Recent rains in California eased the drought noticeably, however it’s not nearly enough. 78% of the state is still in severe (D3) or exceptional (D4) drought. The area in exceptional drought did drop from 58% to 23% in three months. However, one year ago, there were no exceptional drought areas in California. Thus, conditions now in California are much worse than last year.
2014 was the hottest in California in 120 years. Snowpack in the crucial Sierra Nevadas, which feeds the Sacramento River Delta and much of the state, is one-third of normal. Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada are in exceptional drought too, but nowhere near as much as California. Drought is lessening in Colorado, which perhaps bodes well for the crucial Colorado River, which brings water to seven states.