December downpours. January floods. February mudslides. California’s rainy season has finally hit.

Is this good news? Yes! In dry times, Californians struggle to share water. (Remember the stories about California groundwater?) Snow and winter rain help. Reservoirs are filling up.

Downtown Los Angeles has gotten nearly 18 inches of rain since October. That’s already more than the city might get in an entire year. Just three Februarys have been wetter since 1877.

Californians don’t rely only on rain for water. They also count on snow. Last year, the state got a huge amount of water from melting snow. It ended a three-year drought. But this year’s snowpack in the mountains isn’t looking nearly as good as last year’s. Northern California is also getting only an average amount of rain.

All in all, though, rain is pushing away California’s drought. “We’re already wet enough that it’s not going to be a deep drought year,” says scientist Jay R. Lund.

Some parts of California are soaked. Take Death Valley National Park, for example. It’s America’s driest, hottest national park. (Actually, Death Valley holds the record for the highest temperature on Earth. On a July day in 1913, the temperatures rose to 134 degrees.) Right now, Death Valley has a lake big enough for kayakers!

He gives rain on the Earth and sends waters on the fields. — Job 5:10