By Brian K Sullivan | Bloomberg
California’s land is significantly drier than it was last year, posing further risks for wildfires and agricultural production across the state.
More than 71% of California’s land is abnormally dry and almost 11% is locked in drought, according to the US Drought Monitor’s weekly update.
While California doesn’t get much rain during summer, the expanse of dry land is much larger than what it faced a year ago. In September 2023, only 6.47% was abnormally dry and just 0.24% was in drought.
Oct. 1 marks the start of California’s water year. With a potential La Niña developing in the Pacific, this could mean fewer storms bringing California rain and snow during the winter months.
–With assistance from Lauren Rosenthal.
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