Doyle Rice, USA TODAY 12:38 p.m. EDT May 15, 2014
Today, for the first time this century, the entire state of California is in a severe (or worse) drought.
This is according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a federal website that tracks drought across the country. It first began in 2000.
The level of drought in California is "unprecedented," at least during the 14-year-history of the monitor, according to climatologist Mark Svoboda of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb.
The three worst levels of drought are severe, extreme and exceptional: 100% of the state is now in one of those three categories: (23.31% is severe, 51.92.% is extreme and 24.77% is exceptional.) The other, least intense category, is called "moderate."
Exceptional drought encompasses central parts of the state, including the entire Bay Area. San Diego and Los Angeles -- where wildfires have scorched a 14-square mile area of Southern California. this week -- are both under "extreme" drought conditions.
So far this year, San Diego has received only 2.8 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, which is less than half of average.
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"Throw a little record heat on the drought and we will now see impacts accelerate as well," he said, such as wildfires and other high-demand spikes on water.
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Looking ahead, what might pull the state out of the drought is an El Nino that's predicted to form later in the year. El Nino is a periodic climate pattern that sometimes -- but not always -- brings excess rain and snow to California.
"All eyes are on El Nino, although the intensity is going to be the key," said Svoboda. "I'd hate to wish for a super strong El Nino given the opposite damage it can cause, but they desperately need the water!"
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA
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