Things improved in February. A series of storms, some of them colder, swept the Golden State, piling up powder, especially in the northern half of the mountain range. The snowpack has made remarkable gains, experts said, squashing concerns that the season could end with a severe snow drought.

The California Department of Water Resources provides some heartening numbers: The snowpack was 85% of normal on Feb. 23, compared to 28% of normal on Jan. 1.