Wildflower Bloom Carpets Southern California in Vivid Color

Chias bloom on March 16, 2017 at Diamond Valley Lake, near Hemet, California.

Winter storms brought relief to most of the areas suffering drought conditions, but aquifers remain very low and will require years of heavier-than-average rainfall to return to pre-drought levels.

A woman uses a selfie stick to photograph herself in a massive spring wildflower bloom in Lake Elsinore, California, on March 14. 

California poppies, right, and Canterbury bells bloom on March 16 at Diamond Valley Lake.

Desert wildflowers cover the ground around the Amboy Crater in the Mojave Trails National Monument on March 15 in Twentynine Palms, California.

Julia and Amy Liu walk through blooming spring wildflowers in Lake Elsinore on March 14. 

Wildflowers bloom in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on March 13. "The magic is here!" proclaimed the Borrego Springs Chamber & Visitor's Bureau in a Facebook post.

A hiker passes flowers on March 16 at Diamond Valley Lake. 

A bee pollinates Canterbury bells on March 16 at Diamond Valley Lake. 

A fisherman passes arroyo lupines in the early morning of March 16 at Diamond Valley Lake. 

Chias and California poppies are closed until warmed by direct sunlight on March 16 at Diamond Valley Lake.