How severe is Sacramento’s drought? This interactive map shows the outlook is bleak

It is unlikely the Sacramento area will receive a substantial amount of rain anytime soon, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasts for this weekend show temperatures climbing above the average for this time of year which is around 94 degrees, weather service spokesman Craig Shoemaker said.

And it’s expected to remain dry in the area for awhile.

“It’s unlikely that it will rain here until maybe October,” Shoemaker said. “We’re dry in the summertime — it’s not supposed to rain, climatologically speaking we average basically zero rain in July and August.“

This interactive map depicts drought status levels in Sacramento and throughout the country, using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

According to the visualization, Sacramento largely falls under the D3 status, otherwise known as an extreme drought. Areas to the west and east of the capital region, including the Bay Area, are in a severe drought which is assigned as D2.

More than 97% of California’s land area is in at least “severe” drought status, 60% in at least “extreme” drought and the driest 12% in “exceptional” drought, according to a weekly update Thursday from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The D3 classification, or “extreme” drought status, translates to major crop losses, heightened threat of fire danger and widespread water shortages or restrictions, according to the weather service. D2 means crop loss is likely and fire risk is also “very high.”

This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.