Despite recent rounds of winter rain and powerful waves that pummeled the coastline, most of California is continuing to bake under a deep drought.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map, released last week, shows a large part of California, including the Bay Area, is under "abnormally dry" conditions at the beginning of 2025. The most impacted counties are Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties.

California is entering the fourth month of what is typically the rainy season, but in the Southland, the landscape is beginning to show signs of drought.The last time Los Angeles recorded rainfall over a tenth of an inch — the threshold that officials typically consider helpful for thirsty plants and the reduction of wildfire risk — was May 5,

Storms so far this winter have generally benefited northern and central Utah but have barely touched southern parts of the state. It's why Utah's statewide snowpack — now up to 101% of the median average for this point in the season after this weekend — isn't a fair assessment of the state's water levels right now.