Watch CBS News

Recent Rainfall Just A Drop In The Bucket To Easing California's Drought

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Although Southern California has experienced several recent storms, including one just last week, such is simply a drop in the bucket when it comes to the state's ongoing drought, experts say.

In Northern California, the snowpack is 110 percent of what it usually is this time of year. Everywhere else, it is 75 percent.

With those numbers, though, some are wondering whether it's time to start easing up on the state's water conservation measures.

Not so fast, says CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Josh Rubenstein.

"We're still in a drought," said Rubenstein, who adds that rainfall totals are below normal for this time of year.

"In Southern California, we haven't seen the rain that really would make a difference here," he said.

Marty Adams, the senior assistant general manager of the Department of Water and Power, agrees.

"We need to make sure that we don't think of the drought as over just because we had a little rain this year," he said. "If we get a big paycheck and we spend it all today, we're gonna be hungry tomorrow. And that's exactly the story in the water business."

The moral of the story?

Before you crank up those sprinklers, remember that all of the water conservation rules are still in place and they're not going away anytime soon.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.