Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Current U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions for California

The U.S. Drought Monitor(USDM) is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. This map shows drought conditions across California using a five-category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4). The USDM is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. Learn more.

The following state-specific drought impacts were compiled by the National Drought Mitigation Center. While these impacts are not exhaustive, they can help provide a clearer picture of drought in California.

D0 - Abnormally Dry
  • Soil is dry; irrigation delivery begins early
  • Dryland crop germination is stunted
  • Active fire season begins
44.7
of CA
(D0–D4)
D1 - Moderate Drought
  • Dryland pasture growth is stunted; producers give supplemental feed to cattle
  • Landscaping and gardens need irrigation earlier; wildlife patterns begin to change
  • Stock ponds and creeks are lower than usual
28.1
of CA
(D1–D4)
D2 - Severe Drought
  • Grazing land is inadequate
  • Fire season is longer, with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent
  • Trees are stressed; plants increase reproductive mechanisms; wildlife diseases increase
2.0
of CA
(D2–D4)
D3 - Extreme Drought
  • Livestock need expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter
  • Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented
  • Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted
0.0
of CA
(D3–D4)
D4 - Exceptional Drought
  • Fields are left fallow; orchards are removed; vegetable yields are low; honey harvest is small
  • Fire season is very costly; number of fires and area burned are extensive
  • Fish rescue and relocation begins; pine beetle infestation occurs; forest mortality is high; wetlands dry up; survival of native plants and animals is low; fewer wildflowers bloom; wildlife death is widespread; algae blooms appear
0.0
of CA
(D4)
D0 - Abnormally Dry
  • Soil is dry; irrigation delivery begins early
  • Dryland crop germination is stunted
  • Active fire season begins
51.5
of CA
(D0–D4)
D1 - Moderate Drought
  • Dryland pasture growth is stunted; producers give supplemental feed to cattle
  • Landscaping and gardens need irrigation earlier; wildlife patterns begin to change
  • Stock ponds and creeks are lower than usual
35.9
of CA
(D1–D4)
D2 - Severe Drought
  • Grazing land is inadequate
  • Fire season is longer, with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent
  • Trees are stressed; plants increase reproductive mechanisms; wildlife diseases increase
8.5
of CA
(D2–D4)
D3 - Extreme Drought
  • Livestock need expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter
  • Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented
  • Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted
0.0
of CA
(D3–D4)
D4 - Exceptional Drought
  • Fields are left fallow; orchards are removed; vegetable yields are low; honey harvest is small
  • Fire season is very costly; number of fires and area burned are extensive
  • Fish rescue and relocation begins; pine beetle infestation occurs; forest mortality is high; wetlands dry up; survival of native plants and animals is low; fewer wildflowers bloom; wildlife death is widespread; algae blooms appear
0.0
of CA
(D4)
D0 - Abnormally Dry
  • Soil is dry; irrigation delivery begins early
  • Dryland crop germination is stunted
  • Active fire season begins
83.3
of CA
(D0–D4)
D1 - Moderate Drought
  • Dryland pasture growth is stunted; producers give supplemental feed to cattle
  • Landscaping and gardens need irrigation earlier; wildlife patterns begin to change
  • Stock ponds and creeks are lower than usual
49.1
of CA
(D1–D4)
D2 - Severe Drought
  • Grazing land is inadequate
  • Fire season is longer, with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent
  • Trees are stressed; plants increase reproductive mechanisms; wildlife diseases increase
25.0
of CA
(D2–D4)
D3 - Extreme Drought
  • Livestock need expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter
  • Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented
  • Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted
0.0
of CA
(D3–D4)
D4 - Exceptional Drought
  • Fields are left fallow; orchards are removed; vegetable yields are low; honey harvest is small
  • Fire season is very costly; number of fires and area burned are extensive
  • Fish rescue and relocation begins; pine beetle infestation occurs; forest mortality is high; wetlands dry up; survival of native plants and animals is low; fewer wildflowers bloom; wildlife death is widespread; algae blooms appear
0.0
of CA
(D4)
3.3 Million
people in California are affected by drought
58
counties with USDA disaster designations
59th
wettest February was in 2023, over the past 129 years
23rd
wettest year to date was in 2023, over the past 129 years

Explore Drought Conditions by City and County

Summary

View up-to-date drought conditions down to the city and county level, including temperature, and precipitation conditions, key drought indicators, outlooks, historical conditions, and water supply, agriculture, and public health maps.

View Conditions by City:
View Conditions by County:

Drought in California from 2000–Present

The U.S. Drought Monitor started in 2000. Since 2000, the longest duration of drought (D1–D4) in California lasted 376 weeks beginning on December 27, 2011, and ending on March 5th, 2019. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of July 29, 2014, where D4 affected 58.41% of California land.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

Time Period (Years): to

California Drought Resources

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Regional Drought Status Updates
NIDIS & its partners issue regional updates covering drought conditions, outlooks/forecasts, and local impacts.

California-Nevada Drought Email List
Get regional drought status updates right to your inbox, as well as drought news, webinars, and other events for the California-Nevada region.

California-Nevada Drought & Climate Outlook Webinars
These webinars provide the region with timely information on current drought status and impacts, as well as a preview of current and developing climatic events (i.e., El Niño and La Niña). 

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.