Monday July 17, 2023
KGET —
Most of California is in recovery mode after a years-long drought plagued the Golden State from 2020 until 2022, which depleted the state’s reservoirs and groundwater resources.
Thanks to the historic wet winter season, many areas, such as Los Angeles, Merced and Alameda countries, are no longer in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
However, with the summer season in full swing, temperatures across the state have begun to increase and the hotter weather brings renewed potential drought concerns for many across the state.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that most U.S. states are leaning toward a hotter-than-average summer. In California, higher-than-normal temperatures are expected, particularly in the northern part of the state.
Unlike the five-day forecast, experts can’t accurately predict when the next drought will hit the Golden State, mainly due to research limitations, according to Jeanine Jones, the interstate resources manager at the California Department of Water Resources.