California storms didn’t solve the state’s drought and water crisis

After weeks of intense rain and flooding, most of California’s reservoirs are holding more water than usual for this time of year, but groundwater is still not replenished

By James Dinneen

California finally has a dry forecast after three weeks of intense rain brought flooding and disaster declarations across much of the state. All that water is the result of nine “atmospheric rivers” – warm, water-heavy air drawn up from the tropics – and has taken the edge off a historic drought. But California is still grappling with how to manage the increasingly volatile swings between wet and dry years predicted under climate change. …