Friday Top of the Scroll: This part of California just returned to drought conditions
For the first time since October 2023, parts of California are now classified under a moderate drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor. This marks the end of a nine-month period without drought conditions in the state, the longest such stretch since the end of 2011. In its weekly update delivered on Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed a portion of Siskiyou County as being under moderate drought conditions. This designation signals early damage to crops and pastures, lowered water levels in streams and creeks, and the potential for water shortages. … The rapid shift underscores how swiftly California has transitioned from two consecutive years of abundant precipitation to a period marked by below-average rainfall. The back-to-back abnormally wet seasons have kept nearly all of California’s reservoirs at or near full capacity. The return of drought conditions will increase the risk of hazardous fire weather conditions over the next several weeks.
Related articles:
- New York Times: What to know about wildfires in California
- AP Newsroom: Wildfire risk rises as Western states dry out amid protracted heat wave
- USA Today: Scorching heat bakes the West as thunderstorms flood parts of the Northeast
- New York Times: A furious start start to California’s fire season
- Redding Searchlight Record: Billions of gallons of water from Lake Shasta disappearing into thin air
- Marin Independent Journal: Marin voice: Don’t let memory of recent drought emergency fade