Key Points
- January through March 2022 was the driest on record for these three months for much of California and Nevada. The dry end of the wet season leaves California and parts of Nevada in a third year of drought—with drought conditions worse in California than a year ago according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Since October 2019, the beginning of the current drought, much of the region is missing over half a year’s worth of normal precipitation. Some locations are missing as much as 1.25–1.75 years’ worth of precipitation.
- In NOAA’s spring outlook, for the second year in a row forecasters predict prolonged, persistent drought in the West, including California and Nevada. Significant wildland fire potential is forecasted for parts of the region starting in May.
- Drought impacts will continue to intensify and expand given a third dry year. Applying lessons learned from past droughts and drought preparedness are key.
Click here to read the April 8th Update.