Melting snow that continues to fill reservoirs with water will allow the state to fill 100 percent of water requests for the first time in nearly two decades. Even with the spring snow melt, much of the snowpack is expected to last into July or, in some cases, even into August or September, which will help keep Sierra Nevada forests moist and the fire danger lower. For those that don’t want to leave winter behind, several ski resorts are staying open well into the summer. If only for one year, abundant, clear and cold waters will come down from the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a breath of fresh air after seemingly endless bad news about water, climate, and natural disasters in the West, one to celebrate.

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Organizations: California Department of Water Resources, Southwest Locations: Sierra Nevada, West