The storms early in the rainy season mean California’s water supplies are in better shape now than last year, said state climatologist Michael Anderson. #CAwx #CAfire /RkZmdKcZRB- US StormWatch February 12, 2022 Odds are increasing that February, the wettest month of the year in California, will be nearly or completely dry across much of the state.Ĭalifornia is already in the midst of a severe multi-year drought, with fire danger skyrocketing across much of the state. In San Jose, customers who exceed limits - based on a 15% cut in amounts of water they used in 2019 - already have to pay extra fees. Initially, the allocations were set at zero, which meant deliveries would only cover enough for public health and safety.įor residents of the Silicon Valley, the conditions could mean tightening restrictions and increasing rebates to reduce water use. The agencies are getting 15% of their requested supplies from the state aqueduct, which carries water from Northern California rivers south. Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of water agencies in Southern and Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley that receive supplies from the State Water Project, called the storms late last year “a blip” that meant little to California’s water supplies. The prolonged drought, which began in early 2020, leaves many water suppliers leaning more on their stored water supplies or shifting to other sources, such as groundwater. The dry spell follows the driest year in California since 1924, as aridity continues to dominate the West.