Severe Drought Returns to California for First Time in 18 Months

The most recent map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that severe drought has returned to California.
After struggling with devastating drought for years, an abnormally wet spring and above-average snowmelt in 2023 helped eliminate the state’s drought problem. Last October, the U.S. Drought Monitor revealed that California was officially free from drought, with only scarce parts of the state classified as “abnormally dry,” the first marker used in drought classification. The state remained free from drought for months. Moderate drought, the second marker, returned to portions of the state in July.
On Thursday, the most recent Drought Monitor map showed that severe drought had returned. The map’s data is valid through Tuesday morning. The last time the state experienced severe drought was in early April 2023.
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As of the most recent map, only .08 percent of the state was classified as struggling from severe drought, which is restricted to the far southeastern corner of the state in San Bernardino County.
Severe drought is classified as causing a longer fire season, “with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent,” the U.S. Drought Monitor said. Grazing land is considered “inadequate,” river flows tend to decrease and reservoir water levels start to fall.
There’s not much in the form of forecast precipitation to benefit the southern California area in the coming days, National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Brian Hurley told Newsweek.
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However, Tropical Storm Ileana is moving through the eastern Pacific Ocean. The storm has the potential to bring light rainfall across southern California on Sunday night into Monday, Hurley said, but the storm could lose some of its moisture as it tracks through northwestern Mexico.
Hurley added that this time of year is typically very dry for southern California.
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Although still a far cry from the summer of 2022, when nearly 70 percent of the state battled severe drought and as much as 10 percent of the state struggled with exceptional drought, the worst classification, the return of drought is enough to heighten concern, especially with the impending arrival of La Niña, which typically favors below average precipitation for southern California.
La Niña is one of two climate phenomena that influences weather patterns.
“La Nina is favored to emerge in September-November (71% chance) and is expected to persist through January-March 2025. A #LaNina Watch remains in effect,” the NWS Climate Prediction Center posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
Atmospheric rivers form during La Niña, Hurley said, although they typically hit northern California. However, the forecast for below average precipitation during La Niña is not a guarantee, as southern California has seen moisture-laden atmospheric rivers during La Niña.
Atmospheric rivers are “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.