California drought conditions predicted to worsen in coming months, federal forecasters say

More hot, dry weather on tap across American West as California enters third year of severe drought

By PAUL ROGERS | progers@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News .

Serious drought conditions across California and the West are expected to worsen this spring into early summer, with hotter-than-normal temperatures, reduced chances of rain and increased fire risk likely, federal forecasters said Thursday.

The next three months through the end of June show little to no drought relief, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the National Weather Service.

“Concern is quite high as we go into the spring and early summer,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead for NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. “The snowpack is below average for much of California, and there’s really very little time now to make up any precipitation deficits as we move into April.”

After two years of record-dry conditions, California had appeared to be coming out of its drought with heavy rains and snow in October and December. But January and February provided a complete reversal: They were the driest first two months in any year back to 1921, when records first began, in the Northern Sierra, the source of many of the watersheds that feed some of the state’s biggest reservoirs…...More Here

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