The three-year California drought has officially ended thanks to winter rains which helped prepare the land for this summer’s heat.
According to the Good News Network, the drought was naturally cured by January and the spring “superbloom” displayed flowery hillsides.
This is a result of record-breaking snowfall and spring rains in the mountainside. While the precipitation did cause flooding, it also alleviated the need for water rationing and brought the state out of a drought that started in April of 2020, according to Good News Network.
At the start of the year, officials originally dismissed the idea that natural snow and rain could combat the drought, noting the heavy amount of precipitation needed to do so, as well as concerns over “climate change” and the coming summer heat.
Despite this, the snow and rain continued. In addition, California had a standard summer without any record-breaking heat, Good News Network reported.
Although concerns regarding recent Hurricane Hillary making landfall were also raised, the storm blew in more water enriching the land and preventing a return to drought conditions.
L.A. city officials also utilized water-collecting infrastructure devices to collect 3.2 billion gallons of water which is enough to offer 40,000 residents a year’s worth of water if a drought returns, according to Good News Network.
The end to the drought is also likely to help prevent wildfires being that September is projected to be the peak in the natural Southern California wildfire season.
David Simeral, climatologist at the Desert Research Institute who mapped out the latest drought monitor rate, explained how this is expected to affect the wildfire season. He told the L.A. Times, “It should help some in terms of adding some soil moisture and helping the plants to not be so dried out.”
Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, noted the timing and September’s wildfire timeline.
She said, “Hopefully this extra precipitation will push that back even further.”
