Drought returns to California after 9-month hiatus amid hot weather, wildfires. Here’s where

Drought is back in California for the first time in nearly a year.

The update from the U.S. Drought Monitor comes as firefighters battle the state’s largest wildfire of 2024 near Chico.

As of midday Thursday, the Park Fire had burned more than 71,000 acres across Butte and Tehama counties and was approximately 3% contained.

According to Thursday’s update, “moderate drought” is isolated to Northern California, while “abnormally dry” spots are scattered across the state.

Here’s what drought conditions look like across California:

How much of California is in drought?

The Drought Monitor’s weekly map shows drought intensities across the nation.

As of Thursday, 4.4% of the state was in drought, according to the map. That’s a percentage point increase of nearly 3.7% from July 9, when drought conditions returned.

Affected areas include Siskiyou and Modoc counties.

Roughly 21.2% of the state, including portions of the Sierra, foothills, Northern California and Southern California, are battling “abnormally dry” conditions.

Over the past week, a substantial heatwave rocked much of the Western region, with temperature departures 3 to 12 degrees above normal, researchers wrote in a weekly national drought summary for forecast explanations.

Temperature departure is defined as the difference between the temperature in that month and its average over the years, according to the University of Northern California at Charlotte.

While optimal weather improved New Mexico’s persistent drought, portions of California, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Nevada experienced drought expansion, researchers said.

Record temperatures, wildfire risks reported across state

A heat dome sent temperatures soaring into the triple digits across much of California for weeks.

Sacramento experienced its hottest 20-day stretch on record from June 23 through July 12, with high temperatures in the capital city averaging approximately 103 degrees, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.

The National Weather Service’s latest forecast for Sacramento and other parts of California calls for a slight cool-down this weekend, with highs dropping as low as the mid-80s.

Though heat waves are typical in the capital region, scientists warn climate change has exacerbated their intensity and duration.

In Northern California, warm winds and hot weather have created ideal conditions for wildfires as vegetation and other fuels begin to dry out for the season.

What is California’s drought status?

July marks the end of a nine-month drought-free period in California.

As of Thursday morning, nearly 23,700 people were living in drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Since October, the state has been free of “severe,” “extreme” and “exceptional” drought conditions.

This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Drought returns to California after 9-month hiatus amid hot weather, wildfires. Here’s where."