SARANAC LAKE — There were two good formal designations this week that confirm what seems evident from looking out the window: the water tables are returning and the drought that began this summer is in remission.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced that all 21 counties — including Franklin, Essex, Clinton, St. Lawrence and Hamilton — that had previously been under a “drought warning” have been downgraded to a “drought watch,” the lowest of four drought-related advisory levels under the state Drought Index.

These range from “watch,” to “warning,” to “emergency,” to “disaster” and are intended to provide guidance for public and private water suppliers and withdrawal rates, according to the DEC. Under a “drought watch,” there are no state-issued restrictions on water use, though the DEC notes that people are voluntarily encouraged to reduce water use.

“Thankfully, rain is providing communities across the state with some needed relief, resulting in downgrading from warning to watch in the Adirondacks, Southern Tier and Great Lakes-area counties,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said in a statement announcing the state index changes. “While recent rainfall improved dry conditions for many counties in New York, drought watch remains in effect for much of the state and New Yorkers are asked to continue water conservation efforts.”

Lefton noted that the DEC is continuing to monitor hydrologic conditions, such as precipitation levels, reservoir and lake levels, stream flow and groundwater levels. These conditions, and their departures from typical levels, are used to make the state Drought Index. The state is divided into nine geographic drought regions, with each having its own unique set of conditions weightings that go into the index ratings. These are based on the region’s historical water uses. For instance, a particularly agriculturally-intensive region of the state might see worse drought conditions than one with less farming, even if they both receive similar amounts of precipitation.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which is based on a slightly different criteria than the state index, also downgraded most of Essex County — including the towns of North Elba, St. Armand, Wilmington, Keene and Jay — from a “severe drought” to a “moderate drought,” as well as all of the areas in Franklin, Clinton and St. Lawrence counties that had previously been under a “severe drought” to a “moderate drought.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly report that tracks drought conditions across the country, using a variety of factors. More information on its evaluation criteria is available at tinyurl.com/2d2ce6b8. It’s released in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, under which the National Weather Service is also organized.

Lake Champlain’s water level has rebounded nearly a foot from its low point in mid-October. The lake’s surface rose from about 93.3 feet on Oct. 19 to about 94.2 feet as of noon on Friday, according to a U.S. Geological Survey monitoring buoy there, though it remains below normal. The median water elevation at that buoy for Friday is 94.95 feet, which is based on historical observations dating back to 1907, according to the USGS.

As the lake levels and state and federal drought ratings note, the region is not totally out of the woods yet. More precipitation, however, is predicted in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service’s Burlington, Vermont office, which serves the Tri-Lakes area.

A storm is expected to bring a wintry mix of precipitation on Sunday, which could cause some slick roadways for a time. Early morning snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to transition into a cold rain as the day goes on. Behind that, there are several chances for scattered snow showers into next week with seasonably-cool temperatures expected.