It really wasn't a dry year as rainfall years go (July-June). The problem was that most of it fell in the early part of the wet season in November and December. With minimal precipitation after that, the snowpack melted throughout the winter and wasn't replenished. The result was that most it was melted by mid spring.
At my location in central Calaveras County I had 85% of average rainfall, the 6th driest in the past 10 years, not dry statistically at all. A friend in Placerville told me he had 95% of average. The Yosemite area, being farther south, may have been drier.
If November and December had been dry and March and April had been wet with totals being the same, no one would be saying this was a dry year.
IMO, California doesn't handle its water very well. Any year in which all areas of the state don't receive 100% of average precipitation you hear the cries of drought begin. Erratic precipitation in both amount and time of the year is the norm for California. If we can't comfortably survive on 75% of average then we have a problem.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2013 12:30PM by Calaveras.