Nearly 35 percent of California is completely free of drought or dry conditions, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
In just one week, drought conditions significantly improved throughout the state, thanks to an onslaught of storms hitting the northern and southern parts of California during the wet season.
The transformation is a relief for the state, which has been plagued with drought conditions for five years.
US Drought Monitor map comparison btwn Oct 4, 2016 and Jan 12, 2017. Drought persists in #SoCal. #CAdrought #CAwx #LAweather pic.twitter.com/SuL63b8Ueh
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 12, 2017
Only 2 percent of the state, in an area stretching from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, is still in an “exceptional drought,” the most severe drought category. One year ago, these numbers were at more than 42 percent.
The latest report also reveals that more than 40 percent of the state is no longer in a moderate drought, an improvement from the reported conditions 97 percent of the state last year.
California’s reservoirs are also seeing an improvement in their conditions, according to the latest report from the California Department of Water Resources.

Many of the state’s major reservoirs are currently nearing or exceeding their historical average of water capacity.
At Castaic Lake, the water levels are at 63 percent of capacity of 325,000 acre-feet. The historical average for the reservoir is 78 percent acre-feet of water.
Despite the improvements to drought conditions and water reservoirs, California is still under a drought emergency that was first issued by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014.
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