Name: Drought in California, July 1 to 31, 2015
Start: 2015-07-01T00:00
End: 2015-07-31T23:59
Location: California

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.

The long term drought continued through July. While quite a few mountain locations received greater than normal precipitation due to moisture from the monsoon and from ex-hurricane Dolores, this made little impact on the drought overall. The main affects were in decreasing fire activity in areas where locally heavy rain fell. Without a snow pack, reservoirs across the area by the end of the month were continuing to drop well below normal levels.

Extreme drought continued to be detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor across most the region, with exceptional drought for the northern San Joaquin Valley, the central and southern Sacramento Valley, the Burney Basin and the Sierra.

The warm, dry winter left vegetation parched and ready to burn. Wildfire activity was well above normal levels, with California experiencing 4,201 wildfires that consumed 100,000 acres through August 1, much higher than the five-year average of 2,729 fires burning 48,153 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Rocky Fire alone burned 69,000 acres in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties and destroyed 43 homes and 53 outbuildings as of August 6. Additional fast burning wildfires include the Wragg, Lowell, and Kyburz fires.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California January 17, 2014 and this continued to be in effect.

Local Emergency Proclamations have been issued for El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Yuba counties. The cities of Live Oak Lodi, and Ripon continue in a drought emergency. Drought task forces have been established in Butte, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tuolumne, and Yolo counties to coordinate response to the drought.

Mandatory water reductions of 25 percent as ordered by Governor Brown continue to be in effect statewide, the first time such mandatory restrictions have been enacted.

Agriculture has been heavily impacted, with numerous farm and farm related jobs lost. The state continued to supply food assistance to those impacted. California Disaster Assistance Act money continued to be provided for those who have lost drinking water due to dry wells.

Additional impacts included low runoff in streams and rivers on fish and ecological affects on forests and wildlife.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 30, 8:48 PM PST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 8:48 PM PST, 3 hours 12 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
948 PM PDT TUE JUN 30 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
VERY HOT WEATHER CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK. SIERRA
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WITH SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES
POSSIBLE IN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE HEAT WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE DAY FOR THE
SACRAMENTO REGION WHILE IT WILL TAKE UNTIL FRIDAY BEFORE THE NORTH
END OF THE VALLEY BEGINS TO SEE A DECENT COOLING TREND. THE DELTA
BREEZE WILL NOT HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO
THURSDAY WHEN IT IS EXPECTED TO START TO INCREASE. WINDS SHOULD
REMAIN UP THROUGHOUT THURSDAY TO HELP BRING SOME COOLER AIR FOR
THE SACRAMENTO REGION. WE SHOULD ALSO SEE SOME CLOUD COVER DURING
THE DAY WHICH SHOULD HELP AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY THE CLOUD COVER
WILL HELP TO KEEP THE OVERNIGHT LOWS UP TONIGHT AND AGAIN THURSDAY
NIGHT FOR MOST LOCATIONS ABSENT THE DELTA INFLUENCE.

THE OTHER THING OF CONCERN WILL BE WITH THE INCREASED MONSOONAL
MOISTURE AND INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL OF DAYS. FOR WEDNESDAY THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL
MAINLY STAY OVER THE CREST BUT ON THURSDAY AS THE CENTRAL PART OF
THE HIGH MIGRATES FROM NEAR THE 4-CORNERS AREA TO OVER NEVADA
THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE INTERIOR FIRST FOR THE WESTERN SLOPES DURING THE DAY AND
THEN INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT.

THE DOWNWARD TREND IN TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY ALONG WITH
CHANCES OF MOUNTAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME RESIDUAL
SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER OVER THE NORTH END
OF THE VALLEY FRIDAY MORNING BUT ANY ACTIVITY SHOULD MOVE NORTH
INTO THE MOUNTAINS BY LATE MORNING. CLOUD CLOVER ONCE AGAIN WILL
BE OUR FRIEND DURING THE DAY HELPING TO KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN A
LITTLE.

&&
.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)

OVER THE WEEKEND, INTERIOR NORCAL IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN A FOUR
CORNERS UPPER HIGH AND AN OFFSHORE UPPER LOW. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST
FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW MONSOONAL MOISTURE INTO THE
AREA. MAIN INSTABILITY, AND THUS THREAT OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS, IS DEPICTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOONS
INTO EARLY EVENINGS. DRIER AND MORE STABLE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT
DEVELOPS LATE SUNDAY INTO TUESDAY AS THE UPSTREAM UPPER LOW DRIFTS
NORTHWARD, SLIGHTLY CLOSER TO THE NORCAL COAST. AS A RESULT, THE
THREAT OF AFTERNOON DEEP MOIST CONVECTION SHIFTS EAST OF THE
SIERRA NEVADA CREST.

HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE
COOLER. MAX READINGS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 80S IN THE DELTA TO
AROUND 100 IN THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, WITH UPPER 70S TO
AROUND 90 FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.     JCLAPP

&&

.AVIATION...

UPPER HIGH OVER ROCKIES EXTENDS OVER NORCAL AND CONTINUES
SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT AND HOT TEMPS. ISOLD TSTM OVER SIERRA NEVADA
BETWEEN 22Z- 02Z. AFTERNOON DENSITY ALTITUDES MAY BE HIGH WED/THU.
JCLAPP
&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FROM 2 PM WEDNESDAY TO 8 AM PDT FRIDAY
FOR CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-
MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY-
NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-
SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY.

&&

Event by event

8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Southern Sacramento Valley

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Southern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

Agriculture continued to be impacted in July bringing a significant loss of jobs. Tree mortality across the Valley increased, including even normally drought resistant oak trees. Golf courses faced pressure to use less water and were doing so, bringing a dry, brown appearance to the turf. Some golf courses shut down for lack of water. Many people reduced landscape watering at homes or removed grass lawns.

Drought, Northern San Joaquin Valley

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Northern San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

Agriculture continued to be impacted in July bringing a significant loss of jobs. Tree mortality across the Valley increased, including even normally drought resistant oak trees. Golf courses faced pressure to use less water and were doing so, bringing a dry, brown appearance to the turf. Some golf courses shut down for lack of water. Many people reduced landscape watering at homes or removed grass lawns.

Drought, Northern Sacramento Valley

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

Agriculture continued to be impacted in July bringing a significant loss of jobs. Tree mortality across the Valley increased, including even normally drought resistant oak trees. Golf courses faced pressure to use less water and were doing so, bringing a dry, brown appearance to the turf. Some golf courses shut down for lack of water. Many people reduced landscape watering at homes or removed grass lawns.

Drought, Mountains Southwest Shasta County to Northern Lake County

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Mountains Southwest Shasta County to Northern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

The drought continues to impact Lake County, with farmers clipping some wine grape vines, reducing irrigation needed this summer, while also reducing their harvest. Agriculture and related businesses have continued to lose jobs.

Drought, Clear Lake/Southern Lake County

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Clear Lake/Southern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

The drought continues to impact Lake County, with farmers clipping some wine grape vines, reducing irrigation needed this summer, while also reducing their harvest. Agriculture and related businesses have continued to lose jobs.

Dry conditions from the long term drought caused many trees to die. This enhanced wildfires in the Coastal Range, such as the Rocky and Wragg fires.

Drought, Carquinez Strait and Delta

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Carquinez Strait and Delta forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

The drought continues to impact agriculture in the Delta. Wildlife such as the endangered Delta smelt and winter run Chinook Salmon are suffering losses due to changes from the drought, such as an increase in water temperature and salinity levels.

Drought, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

Dry conditions from the long term drought caused millions of trees to die. This also enhanced wildfires in the northern Sierra such as the Lowell and Kyburz fires.

Drought, Clear Lake/Southern Lake County

When: July 1, 12:00 AM PST to July 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Clear Lake/Southern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

Dry conditions from the long term drought caused many trees to die. This also enhanced wildfires in the Coastal Range, such as the Rocky and Wragg fires.

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in California, July 2015

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 596749, 596750, 596751, 596752, 596753, 596754, 597441, 597442.