It hadn't rained for 53 days in Fresno. Although Thursday's rain storm was enough to form puddles at farms, the rainfall doesn't begin to scratch the surface to the amount of water farmers desperately need.
"Even a miracle March this year would not solve our issue. We are in that critical of a position right now," says Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau.
Jacobsen is a grape farmer. At his Fresno County farm, the rainfall helped moisten the ground. But underneath the soil just a few inches, the dirt is dry, revealing the reality of the situation.
"we're so far behind as far as our reservoir levels and with what the snow pack is up there, this [rain] is really not going to make a huge difference," Jacobsen says.
Thursday in Fresno, Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.) said the Farm Bill, which passed in the House of Representatives Wednesday, includes relief in the form of loans for farmers suffering through the drought.
But while water issues continue to be the subject of partisan legislation, Costa says no amount of political maneuvering will bring the water farmers need.
The next 18 months, we're going to have a roller coaster. There is not enough water in the system today to provide for all of the needs of California," Costa says.
Despite the water-soaked leaves and the puddles in the ground that could be seen across Fresno Thursday, farmers say, make no mistake, the Central Valley is still hurting for water.
"I think it's so critical for folks to remember we're in a drought. We're still in a drought. It's not going away. Even the progression of a number of storms here over the next couple weeks isn't going to take those drought symptoms away," Jacobsen says.
Within the next month, the Bureau of Reclamation is expected to announce the water allocation for Fresno County farmers. Many farmers, including Rep. Costa, say they expect they'll receive a zero percent water allocation.