Drought
Below normalCalifornia drought
Share of state area in drought (D1-D4) or worse, week over week
Data through Sep 29, 2026 · source last checked Oct 1, 2026 · page revised Oct 1, 2026
Cite
- % in drought
About this data
- Source
- US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, NOAA)
- Series
- Share of area in moderate drought (D1) or worse
- Geography
- California
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Sep 29, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought held steady week over week (now 23%).
Drought held steady week over week at 23% of state area in moderate drought or worse. Month over month the state worsened 4 percentage points, but year over year and versus the 5-year median it has improved 15 percentage points.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 23% | 23% | +0 pts |
| Month over month | 23% | 19% | +4 pts |
| Year over year | 23% | 39% | -15 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 23% | 39% | -15 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 48.9% | 72.1% |
| D1 moderate drought | 23.3% | 23.3% |
| D2 severe drought | 0% | 0% |
| D3 extreme drought | 0% | 0% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
| County | Area in drought (D1-D4) | Since last week | Most severe category | Weeks in drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County | 4.1% | no change | D1 moderate drought | 2 |
| Fresno County | 0% | no change | D0 abnormally dry | 0 |
| Kings County | 0% | no change | None | 0 |
| Merced County | 0% | no change | D0 abnormally dry | 0 |
| San Joaquin County | 0% | no change | D0 abnormally dry | 0 |
| Stanislaus County | 0% | no change | D0 abnormally dry | 0 |
| Tulare County | 0% | no change | D0 abnormally dry | 0 |
Each county is read from the same weekly US Drought Monitor map, inside the county line. Weeks in drought counts the weekly maps in a row, up to the latest, that show any of the county in D1 or worse.
Previous weeks
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Drought coverage reached 23% of state area, up 1 point on the week. Over the past month, coverage rose 9 points. Conditions sit 15 points below the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
Week over week, drought coverage held at 19%. Month over month, coverage rose 12 percentage points from 7%, reflecting a worsening trend. Year over year and against the 5-year median, coverage fell 21 percentage points from 40%.
Week of Sep 1, 2026
Drought coverage rose to 19% of California, up 5 percentage points week over week. Year over year, coverage has improved sharply, dropping 21 points from 40%. Current coverage sits 21 points below the 5-year median.
Week of Aug 25, 2026
California drought coverage rose to 14% of state area, up 7 percentage points week over week. Year over year and versus the 5-year median, coverage has declined 26 percentage points.
California drought conditions
California has 23.3% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Sep 29, 2026, and 72.1% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D1, moderate drought, covering 23.3% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 0% (Dec 9, 2025) to 38.5% (Oct 7, 2025), and 35 of them showed at least some drought.
The Monitor sorts land into five categories, from D0, abnormally dry and not yet drought, to D4, exceptional drought, and this page counts D1 through D4 as drought. The guide to what D0 to D4 mean explains each class, who draws the weekly map and why it lags a fast-moving storm.