The Severity of California's Terrible Drought, in One Image

California just suffered its driest year in 119 years, and the horrid drought that's plaguing the state (and much of the American West) still shows no sign of relaxing its withering grip. But how bad is it, really?

Well, it's so dry that "grass-fed beef" is becoming "grain-fed beef," as ranchers can't find any grass to feed their cattle. Things are so parched that the state's municipal water system has announced it can't get water to many farmers. That's a first in its 54-year history, and not a good omen for the state that produces half of America's vegetables and fruits. There's so little snowpack in the mountains right now – snow that supplies about one-third of the water to California's farms and cities – that people aren't skiing up there right now, they're skateboarding.