As of July 31, 2026, California is experiencing a tale of two seasons. On one hand, major reservoirs are holding strong with robust water supplies leftover from prior wet periods. On the other hand, a relentless summer heatwave is rapidly drying out vegetation across the state.
The latest numbers from the U.S. Drought Monitor released on July 30 reveal a sharp expansion of dry conditions. Roughly 65 percent of California is now classified as “abnormally dry”. This expanding dryness blankets much of Northern California, the Central Valley, and the Sierra Nevada.
Even worse, official “moderate drought” has officially crept into far northern counties, including Humboldt, Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen. Climatologists point to intense summer heat and high evaporative demand—essentially, the atmosphere sucking moisture right out of the soil and plants.
The silver lining? Water managers are not panicking about immediate drinking supplies. Because of past heavy storms, California’s major water storage reservoirs remain in relatively strong shape for late July. However, with the peak of the dry season still ahead, officials warn that surface moisture is vanishing quickly.
