Threat of drought wiped off California map after soaking storms

The latest federal Drought Monitor Map, one way to measure drought that's mainly used in agriculture, shows only 3.5% of the state as "abnormally dry" with a tiny sliver of yellow on the California-Oregon border. Only a week ago, 85 percent of the state was yellow. less The latest federal Drought Monitor Map, one way to measure drought that's mainly used in agriculture, shows only 3.5% of the state as "abnormally dry" with a tiny sliver of yellow on the California-Oregon ... more Photo: US Drought Monitor Photo: US Drought Monitor Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Threat of drought wiped off California map after soaking storms 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

What a difference a couple storms make.

The recent onslaught of soaking rains and snowy days has wiped the threat of drought off the California map.

The latest federal Drought Monitor Map, a way to measure drought that's mainly used in agriculture, shows only 3.5 percent of the state as "abnormally dry" with a tiny sliver of yellow on the California-Oregon border. Only a week ago, 85 percent of the state was yellow.

California saw a slow start to the rainy season with little rain in October and the first three weeks of November. The storm door finally opened on Thanksgiving week and systems have been sweeping the state ever since.

"All of a sudden we went from people wondering when it would rain to people wondering when it will stop raining," says Spencer Tangen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area. "It’s almost as if a switch was flipped."

The rain in the San Francisco Bay Area has been continuous since the last week in November with only a few dry days here and there falling between storms. But some areas have been significantly wetter than others, bringing rainfall totals to above average. Other areas are still lagging behind season norms.

Downtown San Francisco has recorded 3.86 inches since Oct. 1, with the rainfall total being 67 percent of normal. Normally through Dec. 1, the city would expect to see 5.78 inches.

The Santa Rosa Airport has measured 10.42 inches, or 121 percent of normal. The average value for this time of year is 8.60. San Jose has recorded 2.32 compared to the seasonal average of 3.48 inches, or 67 percent of normal.

The Drought Monitor is a joint effort of between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A map is released each week with drought conditions across the country, indexing everything from groundwater storage to river levels. The figures state water managers watch most closely are precipitation totals, and reservoir and snowpack levels. This season, all are looking promising for California's water supply.

Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, is at 72 percent capacity and 119 percent of average for this time of year. At this point in the season, water managers are releasing water to reduce flooding and meet environmental requirements.

State officials won't take a close look at the snow pack until later in the season, but ski resorts are reporting a good start. Squaw Valley had measured more than 100 inches of snowfall as of last week. The resort didn't hit the 100-inch benchmark until Jan. 6 last season.

Of course, this hopeful start to what state officials refer to as the "water year," could all change if a long dry spell hits.

Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her at agraff@sfgate.com.