U.S. Drought Monitor declares Contra Costa County 100% drought free -

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 16, 2023) — The U.S. Drought Monitor released its report on Thursday, showing that Contra Costa County has fully recovered from drought conditions. This follows a series of strong atmospheric rivers that have drenched the region this winter.

Most parts of the Bay Area show no drought conditions. The latest report notes “Broad reductions in drought coverage and intensity were noted again this week in California and neighboring areas.” When looking at the graph for Contra Costa, the site shows 100% of the area has no drought conditions.

The good news extends statewide. According to the report, smaller lakes have rebounded. The state’s 154 primary reservoirs gained 9.9 million acre-feet of water over the three months ending Feb. 28. The total storage of 23.2 million acre-feet as of the end of February was 96% of the historical average.

As of March 13, season-to-date snowfall at Donner Pass was over 650 inches. A normal full-season total is about 360 inches.

Only parts of Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties remain in the “Abnormally Dry” category.

Tags: drought