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Drought Information Statement
Issued by NWS Sacramento, CA
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Drought Information Statement
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
1027 PM PDT Tue Aug 24 2021

...EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA...

SYNOPSIS...

According to the U.S. drought monitor, much of inland California
is in D4 exceptional drought. The exception is the high Sierra
which is in D3 severe drought conditions. The drought classifications
are due to the short term precipitation deficit of the 2020 and
2021 dry water years.

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/currentmap/statedroughtmonitor.as
px?ca

The drought emergency declared by Governor Newsom across 50
counties in California on May 10, 2021, remains unchanged. The
emergency proclamation was issued in response to below normal
precipitation this year and a second consecutive year of dry
conditions. The declaration was expanded due to the warm spring
temperatures that led to a rapid depletion of the Sierra Nevada
snowpack, low streamflow, less inflow into reservoirs, and hence a
rapid deterioration of the state`s water supply. D4-Exceptional
Drought classification indicates exceptional and widespread
crop/pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams,
and wells creating water emergencies. The declaration paves the
way to expeditiously mitigate the effects of drought conditions to
ensure the protection of health, safety, and the environment.

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

Agriculture, livestock and rangeland damages and losses caused by
the dry conditions. Abnormally dry vegetation is contributing to
a record 2020 and 2021 fire season with several large, devastating
fires ongoing. Numerous hydrologic power stations are running at
a degraded state or are unable to generate power due to the lack
of water storage in reservoirs. Water storages at many of the
large reservior are below the lowest levels during the 2011-2016
drought.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...

The 2020 and 2021 water years have been extremely dry over northern
California, ranking among the top two driest for a 2 year period
at many locations. The summer of 2020 was the hottest on record
for many locations in norcal.

The northern sierra 8 station precipitation index for the 2020 water
year finished at 31.9 inches or 62% of normal, which was the 3rd
driest on record. The 5 station San Joaquin basin index finished at
24.6 inches or 61% of normal, which was the 7th driest on record.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

The wet season has ended and it has been extremely dry. The peak
of the dry season is ongoing over northern California. The
current station 8 index for the northern Sierra is at 46 percent
of normal and the central Sierra station 5 index is at 47 percent
of normal.

CPC 3-month outlook through February, shows a slight signal for
below normal precipitation south of Interstate 80 and no clear
signal to the north. Trends point to above-normal temperatures
across the entire state.

The La Nia Watch issued by the Climate Prediction Center on July 8,
2021 remains in effect.  A Watch is issued when conditions are
favorable for the development of El Nio or La Nia conditions
within the next six months. ENSO-neutral conditions are currently in
place across the Pacific. There is a 60% chance that ENSO-neutral
conditions will continue through the remainder of the summer season
(Aug-Sept 2021) with La Nia conditions emerging during the fall
season (Aug-Sept-Oct 2021) and a 70% chance of La Nia conditions
lasting through the 2021-22 winter season (Nov-Dec-Jan).  A second
year La Nia event is possible, and the models have been fairly
consistent in La Nia emerging in the fall.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
A second extremely dry water year has caused a reduction in the
water storage of the state`s large reservoirs, now ranging from 35
to 70 percent of normal. Reservoir storage for the Sacramento
river basin is at 55% of average.

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE... The next scheduled product will be issued in
late September or sooner if necessary in response to significant
changes in conditions.

&&

RELATED WEBSITES...
California Data Exchange Center:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/

California Nevada River Forecast Center:
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/droughtInfo.php

U.S. Drought Monitor:
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.
aspx?CA

National Integrated Drought Information System:
https://www.drought.gov/states/california

California Department of Water Resources Drought Page:
https://water.ca.gov/Water-Basics/Drought

Climate Prediction Center:
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/monitoring_and_data/
drought.shtml

National Center for Environmental Information:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/

National Weather Service Sacramento: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto/

National Weather Service California drought information resources:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/drought-ww Association of California

Water Agencies:  http://www.acwa.com

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
DROUGHT MONITOR
CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
CALIFORNIA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST
US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
CAL FIRE
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
LOCAL COUNTIES AND CITIES

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS...PLEASE REFER ALL QUESTIONS TO
W-STO.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV.

$$

SHOEMAKER
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
