A California soaking, but will it stick?

Some parts of Southern California got more than five inches of rain this week, in a series of storm systems that hit the area one after the other. What climate scientists describe as an atmospheric river is behind the weather pattern that brought those torrents of rains and even unusual blizzard conditions in higher elevations. The rain put a big dent in the drought. But, as you’re probably well-aware, the rain can stop for months and months and – voila! – here we are, in a big drought again. So what’s behind this pendulum swing, and what can state officials do about capitalizing on the precious water that falls?