Rain or lack thereof

We're in a drought...sort of. 

I'm in Sacramento and I've been living here since 1960; a long time.  We've had years of low rainfall and high rainfall.  The last drought we had that was called a drought was in 76-77.  It was in all the papers.  You went to a state park, and they'd have displays about the drought.

That was a drought.  In 1976 we had just over 7 inches of rain.  It was sunny and in the mid-70s...in January.  Very weird, very nice winter weather (unless you were a skier, as I was), and very scary.  It was dry, dry, dry.

This past weather year, 2014-15 (the weather year, at least for rain, goes from July 1 to June 30), we've (so far) gotten over 13 inches of rain.  The average (which it is, not 'normal' as is so often used) is just over 20 inches.

(An aside...That average has inched up since I've been paying attention to the weather.  It used to be 19 and something inches.  Now it's over 20.  Interesting.  Been getting wetter? )

They say an El Nino is forming, or has formed, or will form.  That usually means wetter weather, which would be welcomed by all except those with leaky roofs.  It has been a somewhat wet spring, which follows an absolutely dry January.

So...it's dry, but it's been worse.  The drought of 76-77 was not followed by all of the hand-wringing and turgid verbiage as is the case nowadays.  Makes for more wailing and gnashing of teeth, and, of course, more money to the local bureaucracy.