California and Nevada Drought is extreme to exceptional
Drought Monitor
February 3, 2015
Severe to Exceptional Drought conditions continue
94% of California in severe to exceptional (D2-D4) drought conditions (one year
ago the coverage was to 90%). Over Nevada the D2-D4 area covers 63% of the
state (one year ago the coverage was 80%).
2014
2015
Sierra snow cover: 2014 and 2015
Satellite imagery shows the 2015 Sierra snow cover extent is less than 2014.
It’s been dry for 3 years: the percent of average precipitation from February
2012-2015 shows much of the west below normal (100%). Much of California
nad Nevada are below 70% of normal.
January 2015 was extremely dry: note regions of central California
less than 5% of normal.
The Northern Sierra Precipitation 8-station index is slightly
below normal.
Rain is on the way to northern California. View from space of
the coming atmospheric river storm system, taken Wednesday
afternoon, February 4, 2015.
This atmospheric river is being closely observed as it falls during
the CalWater 2015 – ACAPEX field experiment. Above are field
operations on Thursday, February 5, 2014
San Francisco had a wet December followed by no
January 2015.
rain in
Yosemite National Park: January 2015 was the warmest
and driest on record.
See more at the National Park Service web site:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/Update-for-February-4-2015.htm
Comparing snow and reservoir levels across California
January 30, 2015, snow levels amongst lowest on record
Percent of April 1 snow water
equivalent at snow survey
sites (black circles on map)
October through December 2013
High pressure has
dominated the
eastern Pacific OND
2013; low pressure
for OND 2014
October through December 2014