California will be cool and wet in May. Here’s what more rain means for drought conditions
Meteorologists forecast that May will bring above-normal rainfall and chilly weather to parts of California, and it could be just what the state needs to shake its remaining drought conditions.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there’s a 50% to 60% chance weather in central and Northern California will be wetter than usual for this time of the year.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, California is roughly 92% drought-free after months of rain and snow. The state is free of “severe,” “extreme,” and “exceptional” drought conditions for the fourth week in a row.
The entire Central Valley, Central Sierra, Foothills, the coast and most of Southern California have exited drought conditions.
As of Thursday, eight out of 58 counties, or nearly 8% of the state, are in “moderate” drought.
The majority of the northern part of California is drought-free except for “moderate” conditions in parts of Modoc, Lassen and Siskiyou counties. The same is true for areas in the desert region including Inyo, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Nearly 736,000 people remain in drought areas, according to a Thursday update from the U.S. Drought Monitor — an improvement over roughly 743,000 in April and 5 million in March.
Meaning, whether the drought is over depends on where you are and the status of your water agency’s supply.
Roughly 32% of the state remains abnormally dry for the second week in a row.
The information used in this interactive map, collected from the U.S. Drought Monitor, was updated Thursday with data through May 2. Here are the drought conditions in California. See where you land:
California’s ‘massive’ snowpack
Damp weather mixed with cool temperatures across the state means continued relief could further improve drought conditions this spring in time for the summer heat.
The downside: flooding.
The California Department of Water Resources on Monday conducted a snow survey at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, its first in the month of May since 2020, following mammoth winter storms that pounded the Sierra Nevada mountains in recent months.
Roughly 12% of the state’s snowpack has melted in the Sierra Nevada.
The survey revealed a snow-water equivalent of 30 inches at the site, which is 241% of its May 1 average, state water officials said.
The Department of Water Resources uses snow survey data to forecast spring snow runoff and how it will affect different communities.
Statewide, the Department of Water Resources reported snowpack at 266% of normal for this point in the year.
The snowmelt was actually below average in April, water officials said, because temperatures were colder than average with frequent cloud cover.
As a result, flood concerns persist as the summer months approach.
“While providing a significant boost to California’s water supplies, this year’s massive snowpack is posing continued flood risks in the San Joaquin Valley,” Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said in a news release.
The snowpack is not expected to disappear anytime soon, delaying the opening of Tahoe region campgrounds well into June.
Instead, Nemeth said the next several months will lead to “sustained high flows” across the San Joaquin and Tulare Basins.
Tahoe campgrounds openings delayed due to record California snowpack. Here’s what we know
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