Most of California exits drought after latest storms. Interactive map shows where
For the first time in roughly three years, a majority of California is drought-free.
February’s rain and snow added to the already high amount of water that hit California at the beginning of the year. The question remains: Do California’s drought conditions show improvement?
The short answer is yes, regardless of whether conditions are only temporary.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update, issued Thursday, shows the parts of the central Sierra, foothills, Central Valley and entire coast have exited drought conditions.
Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties are completely free of drought following the latest winter storm, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s map. Several sections of the Sierra and Sacramento Valley including Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador and Fresno counties are drought-free.
Both California’s Central Coast and the northwest corner of the state, the majority of Del Norte County, have been free of drought conditions for more than one month.
Last week, more than 99% of the state was at least abnormally dry. Now, it’s at 83%. Less than 50% of the state has at least moderate drought — an improvement over last week’s 84.6% — and just under 25% remains in severe status.
The information used in this interactive map, collected from the U.S. Drought Monitor, was updated Thursday with data through Feb. 28. Here are the drought conditions in California. See where your area lands:
Is California’s drought over?
California’s latest drought has stretched several years.
The lack of water and excessive heat, the U.S. Drought Monitor wrote in a Thursday statement, have further dried soil conditions and lowered groundwater and reservoir levels. According to previous Bee reporting, the once drought-stricken reservoirs have since recovered.
The severe storms are unlikely to reverse the damage.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state’s drought dates back more than 1,000 years. For now, drought conditions show significant improvement, compared to one week ago.
The state has been free of both “extreme” or “exceptional” drought for more than a month.
When will it rain and snow again in California?
Rain and snow blanketed the state of California over the last several days — and cities are gearing up for more rare weather.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday night to support disaster and relief efforts in the following counties:
- Amador
- Kern
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Mariposa
- Mono
- Nevada
- San Bernardino
- San Luis Obispo
- Santa Barbara
- Sierra
- Sonoma
- Tulare
The Northern California winter storm, set to pummel the region from Saturday to at least Wednesday, will bring heavy snow to the mountains and foothills, according to the National Weather Service. Rain and gusty winds will likely follow.
In Sacramento, rain is forecast to kick off Friday night, with winds whipping between 10 mph to 20 mph on Saturday. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
SNOWPACK LEVELS
According to the Department of Water Resources, 49 stations in the Central Sierra Nevada are reporting at 197% of normal on Thursday.
Peak snow season is generally on April 1. As of Thursday, snowpack throughout California is 174% of the average.
UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded nearly 12 feet of snow in one week.
This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Most of California exits drought after latest storms. Interactive map shows where."