Washing Away the Drought

In California's Sierra Nevada, skiers haven't seen anything like it in 10 years: 20 ft. of snow already this season, compared with 6 ft. by this time last year. In perennially sunstroked Los Angeles and San Diego, repeated torrents have flooded streets. Rainfall in California is 126% above average and rising, and the snowpack's water content is 170% above normal. With the wettest months still to come, some reservoirs, such as Little Rock in Antelope Valley, right, that were low just months ago are now overflowing. Still, % meteorologists refuse to concede that the six-year drought is over, insisting that two more wet years are necessary to replenish underground water tables and permit an end to conservation efforts.