The news in recent weeks has included a deluge of headlines reflecting what millions of people across the country are wondering about (and hoping for):

Have the astonishing storms that have swept across the West since mid-December vanquished the drought at last?

Remember all that “cautiously optimistic” happy talk last fall about how the coming winter could create a splendid snowpack in the Rocky Mountains and in Arizona’s mountain regions?

Remember how well it actually panned out?