Drought Emergency in California (and Nevada)

Last year was the driest year California has ever recorded, since the state started measuring rainfall in 1849 before it even became a state. Statewide averages can sometimes hide important fluctuations between in-state regions. The following images illustrate that (1) southern California is much more severe than northern California as one might expect and (2) no relief occurred in January 2014, which only added on to the extreme lack of precipitation during October through December 2013.

Basically this deficit has been years in the making and the forecast for 2014 isn't looking any better.

Resources

California Has Driest Year Ever -- And It May Get Worse