Bay Area out of drought after powerful storms
A drought monitor issued Thursday morning shows the entire Bay Area is no longer in a drought.
However, the monitor still shows that it is still a little dry around San Jose, eastern Contra Costa County, and Alameda County.
Officials estimate 40 percent of the state is out of the drought. The monitor also shows 28 percent of the state is still in Extreme to Exceptional Drought, the worst categories. Just 2 percent of the state, a swath between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, remains in the sharpest category of drought that includes drying wells, reservoirs and streams and widespread crop losses. Forty-three percent of the state was in that direst category this time a year ago. This time last year, 97 percent of the state was in drought.
California will remain in a drought emergency until Gov. Jerry Brown lifts or eases the declaration he issued in January 2014. State officials said this week that Brown will likely wait until the end of California's winter snow and rain season to make a decision on revising the drought declaration.
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The past week's storms were enough to double the snowpack in parts of the Sierras. The state's reservoirs are also brimming above average for the first time in six years.
PHOTOS: Major January storm sweeps across Bay Area
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The Associated Press has contributed to this report.
