Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look

California's snowpack was more than twice the average in much of the state in early March 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

After three years of extreme drought, the Western U.S. is finally getting a break. Mountain ranges are covered in deep snow, and water reservoirs in many areas are filling up following a series of atmospheric rivers that brought record rain and snowfall to large parts of the region.

Many people are looking at the snow and water levels and asking: Is the drought finally over?