Mapping the Science of California's Record-Breaking Wet Winter.

California experienced an extremely wet winter and spring due to a broad southward shift in the storm track, which allowed storms to march directly into the state from the west. The changing climate may be playing a role in disrupting traditional winter weather patterns. While this year's extreme weather is an outlier, it fits into what would be expected as the climate warms and has more energy for storms to develop, creating new extremes. However, the phenomenal snow year in 2023 is happening amid an ongoing decades-long decline in mountain snowpack in both the western United States and around the world, which could culminate in persistent snowless conditions later this century.