Drizzling rain this early Thursday on California’s north coast, softly and misty — opposite to a couple of hours ago when a nasty, but quick, storm front hammered its way across the landscape.
Heavy-pelting rain with close-at-hand thunder caffeinated the senses just shortly after daybreak. According to the NWS, more than a quarter-inch of rain fell in less than a half-hour, felt like a quarter-hour. Outside my back patio, my eyesight seemed to spy maybe hail mixed in with regular-rain, but nothing appeared on the ground.
Supposedly, weather should remain the same for awhile, though, hopefully not so intense as earlier.

Intense enough, though — via The Weather Channel this morning: ‘A severe drought that has prevailed in California since 2011 is improving due to increased precipitation and a greater snowpack over the past few months.’

(Illustration: ‘Rain,’ by Brad Sharp, found here).

There’s certain caveats, of course, like the snowpack melting fast since April 1, and was only 60 percent of average by the end of the month, and/or a La Niña system developing late in the year, which usually produces below-average rainfall.
A positive — water levels in our major reservoirs actually rose during April, 62 percent of statewide capacity to 64 percent.

Up here in northern California, it’s even better.
Via the Times-Standard, also this morning

“From the perspective of Northern California, we really feel that the drought has ended, at least for now,” the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District’s Business Manager John Friedenbach said.
“Most of the reservoirs in Northern California are full.”

Hence, Humboldt County water suppliers are asking top state water authorities to slack-off water-saving regulations in effect for the last couple of years, and besides we have maybe too much water — the governor wanted a 25 percent water savings statewide. Yet though rest of the state has tried, we’re slacking: ‘Compared to the state’s overall 24 percent savings in March, the North Coast Region conserved only 14 percent — down from 15 percent in February and 20 percent in December.’

Water and rain…better than fire and rain…