According to today's Weather and Crop Bulletin report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Northern and central California’s mid-winter barrage of Pacific storms continued through the first week of January, further easing drought due to soil moisture replenishment and abundant mountain snowpack.
However, heavy precipitation also caused short-term concerns, including flash flooding, debris flows, and rising river levels.
Significant precipitation occurred in other areas, including parts of the Great Basin and Intermountain West. Rain and snow also provided some additional Southwestern drought relief.
One of the Western storms took aim on the central and eastern U.S., with heavy snow falling from Nebraska (and portions of neighboring states) northeastward into the upper Great Lakes region.
Additionally, locally severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes swept across the South from January 2-4, while a broader area of the South, East, and lower Midwest received rain.