Snowpack in California's mountains is off to one of its best starts in 40 years. State officials said Tuesday that the statewide snow depth is 174% of the historical average this year. Much of that is because of a spate of recent storms that have dumped snow in the Sierra Nevada. Even more snow is expected later this week and over the weekend. But state officials cautioned that the recent weather isn't enough by itself to end the drought. The past three years in California have been the driest ever recorded dating back to 1896. Many more storms will be needed to officially end the drought.

Residents in California's vast Central Valley region are bracing for another round of powerful storms. Flooding from a New Year's Eve storm killed one person and forced the evacuation of people in low-lying areas. That included 1,075 inmates at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Inmates were taken to nearby jails. County officials are monitoring conditions to decide when to bring the inmates back. The rain had mostly stopped by Sunday afternoon. Another smaller storm is expected Monday night. More powerful systems are forecasted for Wednesday and again this weekend. The National Weather Service is warning about more flooding.

Californians on Friday were bracing for heavy downpours and potential flooding from a series of rainstorms poised to usher in the new year. An atmospheric river storm began sweeping across the northern part of the state Friday and was expected to bring more rain through Saturday. Officials warned rivers and streams could overflow and urged residents to get sandbags ready. A flood watch was in effect in much of Northern California through New Year's Eve. In Southern California, moderate-to-heavy rain is expected on Saturday. It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week.