In the California Sierra Foothills, We had a what felt like reasonable amount of rain this year, and the nicest snowfall I've seen since I moved here five years ago. However, the snow melted early and there's no snow pack to fill California's needs.
Two weeks ago, we took Debby McClatchy hiking at our favorite spot above Donner Lake. Usually, the snow is too thick for hiking there until the end of July, so it's our August cooling-off spot. This year, it will be dry and dusty by August.
We haven't seen rain for a month, and won't until late September. It's going to be a tough fire season. Lake Tahoe got it bad last week.
-Joe-