Recent storms give drought-weary California cause for hope, but will they continue?

LOS ANGELES — Winter storms that doused California with much-needed rain and snow over the last week have managed to ease some dire drought conditions, but experts warned that the state still has a long way to go to truly reverse its historic dry streak.

For many, the massive storm system that soaked swaths of the West Coast with inches of rain and feet of snow was a reminder of seasons past as it snarled traffic, triggered rock slides and sparked a blizzard of “winter wonderland” posts on social media.

But as the state’s climate grows warmer and drier, sustained periods of winter rain and snow