The drenching rain and heavy snow that has lashed California this month put a dent in the state's historic drought, according to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor.

The percentage of the state in the worst drought category — "exceptional" drought — dropped from 55% of the state the previous week to 32% this week. That's the state's lowest percentage in six months.

This week's greatest precipitation fell on central and northern California, where many locations totaled 4 to 12 inches.

Water conservation took a step forward, according to Bob Muir at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

“People took advantage of the storms, shut-off their sprinklers and let nature do its business. But, we’ve got a long way to go to address the impacts of this ongoing drought.”

Despite four storms in nearly as many weeks, nearly the entire state — more than 98% — remains in some level of drought.
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Story Date: December 26, 2014