After meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s drought conservation target in December, Californians fell far short in January.

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The latest figures on California’s water conservation are in, and they’re pretty dismal.

Despite calls to reduce consumption during our punishing drought, Californians used 2.6 percent more water in January compared with the same month in 2020, according to state data. The figures for February and March are unlikely to be much better.

These disappointing numbers represent a marked change from late 2021. In December, Californians reduced residential water usage by more than 15 percent, exceeding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s conservation target. October and November saw significant savings as well.

Well, California is in the midst of a brutal drought that has depleted our reservoirs and snowpacks. Newsom has asked people and businesses to voluntarily cut how much water they use by 15 percent.

You might think that means taking shorter showers or turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Those strategies don’t hurt, but a far more efficient one is to water our yards less.

As much as 80 percent of residential water usage goes to the outdoors in California. Our dry climate requires far more water to keep lawns alive than, say, on the East Coast, where it rains in the summer.

So, when California was slammed with an atmospheric storm in late October and another in December, Californians’ water savings jumped — because people turned off their sprinklers.

But then we entered 2022. January and February, typically the heart of our rainy season, were the driest two-month start to the year in California history, state officials say.

Accordingly, Californians needed more water for their yards. The state instated $500 fines in January for people who water their lawns after rainfall or allow runoff into the street, but they didn’t significantly curb usage.

In warmer, more inland parts of the state, water usage increased by nearly 30 percent in January compared with the same month in 2020. That brought the state’s cumulative savings since July, when Newsom called for the 15 percent reduction, to a mere 6.4 percent.

“We’ve suffered quite the climate and weather whiplash here,” Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, said during a recent meeting in which the data was released. “Outdoor irrigation is such a huge component of water use that it really reflects here some real challenges we’re going to have given these dry conditions.”

Given these dire straits, state officials announced last week that California’s urban water users and farmers will get just 5 percent of what they’ve requested from state water supplies.

That’s down from the 15 percent allocation state officials announced earlier in the year, after our wet December had fueled hopes of an improving drought.

What the winter dry spell means for fire season.

The drought in the U.S. is expected to persist, and spread, through the spring.

How San Diego has water despite a punishing drought.

Stark losses in population in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York made 2021 the slowest year of population growth in U.S. history.

Eviction protections: A bill endorsed by legislators on Thursday could extend eviction protections for another three months, The Associated Press reports.

Machine guns: Auto sears, which transform semiautomatic guns into automatic weapons, have exploded onto the black market in California in recent years, The Trace reports.

Where homeowners stay: Seven of the top 20 housing markets nationwide where homeowners stay the longest are in California. Los Angeles tops the list with 18 years.

C.S.U. chancellor: California State University has appointed Jolene Koester as interim chancellor while the university searches for someone permanent, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

U.S.C. education school: U.S.C. will pull its Rossier School of Education from U.S. News & World Report’s next annual rankings after discovering “a history of inaccuracies” in data reported by the school, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Echo Park encampment: Of 183 homeless people displaced after the police cleared an encampment at Echo Park in Los Angeles last year, just 17 found their way into long-term housing, The Guardian reports.

No more masks: This week, Los Angeles Unified School District students were allowed to attend class without masks for the first time in more than a year.

Affordable housing: California’s attorney general is threatening legal action against Encinitas for moving too slowly to approve a proposal for an apartment complex in an affluent neighborhood, The Sacramento Bee reports.

Hearst Castle: After two years, Hearst Castle will reopen on May 11, KTLA reports.

First lady visit: Jill Biden will speak at a ceremony in Kern County for Cesar Chavez Day next week, The Bakersfield Californian reports.

Tech: What the Silicon Valley prophet sees on the horizon.

Refinery strike: Chevron Corp. will sit down with the United Steelworkers union next week to discuss the ongoing strike at its Richmond refinery, U.S. News & World Report reports.

Today’s tip comes from Susan McBaine, who recommends a unique Bay Area adventure:

“A really fun and unique overnight adventure is to stay at the East Brother Light Station, a Victorian Lighthouse built on East Brother Island at the entrance to San Pablo Bay. It was built in 1873 and after being fully automated in 1969 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After renovations it began operations 1979 as a charming bed-and-breakfast, accessible only by boat and reservation. Funds earned by the Inn, through its nonprofit corporation, pay for ongoing restoration and maintenance costs of the buildings and equipment of the island. Big views and lots of history!”

Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.

A bhangra dance musical at the La Jolla Playhouse.

We’ve recently been publishing your notes about why you love your corner of California.

If you’d like to submit a love letter to your California city, neighborhood or region — or to the Golden State as a whole — please email us at CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll keep sharing your missives in the newsletter.

A sport called the Formula 1 of sailing is coming to the Bay Area this weekend.

The championship of the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix, arguably sailing’s pinnacle racing series, will be held in San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Competitive catamaran racing is a high-speed and drama-packed spectacle that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. The F50 boats used to compete are capable of hitting 120 miles per hour.

“These are the best guys in the world, no ifs, ands or buts,” Rome Kirby, flight controller for Team USA, told The Chronicle.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Soumya

Correction: Wednesday’s California Today newsletter misidentified Kevin McCarthy’s position in Congress. He is a representative, not a senator.

Briana Scalia and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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