Drought returns to California county for first time in months as state braces for more heat

Meteorologists forecast that the remainder of the summer and the beginning of fall will bring above-normal temperatures to California, which could exacerbate the state’s steadily increasing drought.

Del Norte County — which has been drought-free for months — now faces some moderate conditions.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there’s between 33% and 50% chance weather in California will lean above normal for this time of year. NOAA outlooks show “equal” chances of above-normal, near-normal or below-normal rainfall for August and September.

Meaning, according to the National Weather Service, there is no clear indication of how much rain the state could receive.

Dangerous heat in California

Heat waves have baked California all summer — and while some regions slowly move away from triple-digit temperatures — others brace for another round of sweltering conditions.

The National Weather Service warned of a “widespread moderate heat risk” this weekend across the Central Valley and foothills.

An excessive heat watch will go into effect from Saturday to Monday for portions of Southern California. The area is preparing for “dangerously hot” temperatures between a high of 108 and 117 degrees.

In Sacramento, temperatures will steadily increase throughout the week until the area reaches a high of 105 degrees this weekend.

“Heat can exacerbate drought, and hot, dry conditions can, in turn, create wildfire conditions,” the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions wrote on its website. This season, the heightened risk of fires is in lower-elevation grasslands, as moisture from winter storms is drying up faster than in the mountains, which saw record snow this year.

More vegetation in these areas can be fuel for flames.

Is California still in a drought?

Nearly 903,000 people remain living in drought areas, according to a Thursday update from the U.S. Drought Monitor — an increase over roughly 892,000 people in July and approximately 704,800 people in June.

In May, about 736,000 people lived in drought-stricken areas.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, California is roughly 93% drought-free. The state is free of “severe,” “extreme,” and “exceptional” drought conditions for 17 weeks in a row.

As of Thursday, portions of four out of 58 counties, or roughly 6.5% of the state, are in “moderate” drought. In July, parts of three counties or approximately 6.3% remained in drought.

The majority of the desert region and Northern California is drought-free except for “moderate” conditions in parts of Inyo, Riverside and San Bernardino. Del Norte County, in the far northwest part of the state, reentered drought conditions this week, with nearly 37% of the county in the “moderate” stage. It had been drought-free since January.

Whether the drought is over depends on where you are and the status of your water agency’s supply.

Roughly 25% of the state remains abnormally dry for the third week in a row.

The information used in this interactive map, collected from the U.S. Drought Monitor, was updated Thursday with data through Aug. 1. Here are the drought conditions in California: