Interior northern California is still experiencing widespread drought. For the month of August, the only changes made to drought severity levels were to the northern San Joaquin Valley and southern portion of the Motherlode.
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.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
Interior northern California is still experiencing widespread drought. For the month of August, the only changes made to drought severity levels were to the northern San Joaquin Valley and southern portion of the Motherlode. Much of the region remains in severe to extreme drought with the southern portions of the region as high as exceptional drought. Many local and regional, as well as state-wide restrictions continue. Agricultural surface water deliveries continue to be significantly reduced. The state-wide drought declaration by governor Gavin Newsom also continues. Mandatory water restrictions are in place on outdoor water use for all Californians with possible fines to violators. Agriculture and most of the state’s energy development are water-intensive industries and have less water for those purposes.
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 Jul 31, 12:32 PM PST, 11 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 132 PM PDT Sun Jul 31 2022 .Synopsis... Unsettled weather over the next few days as monsoon moisture builds over the region. This will bring scattered thunderstorm chances over the mountains with Valley shower and thunderstorm chances at times. Mountain thunderstorm chances continue mid-week onward but should not be as widespread. Cooler the next few days with a gradual warming trend into the middle part of the week. && .Discussion... An upper level closed low centered around 40 degrees N, 130 degrees W, remains in this position through early this week before retrograding to the west mid to late week. High pressure remains over the Four Corners region with both of these features pushing deep monsoonal moisture into Northern California. Multiple shortwaves will round this high pressure bringing chances for showers and storms to the area. Abundant moisture continues to move northward into Northern California today with precipitable water values from around 1.25- 1.75 inches today. A few showers have managed to form in the Valley continuing into the afternoon. HREF indicates decent probabilities for at least 500 J/kg of CAPE today over the mountains with only strong forcing lacking for widespread storms. Still, as stated in the previous discussion, orographic lift in this environment will certainly initiate isolated to scattered storm coverage this afternoon and evening. Any storms will be capable of producing heavy rain and possibly flash flooding. Most guidance quiets activity down late this evening into very early tomorrow morning before a shortwave moves across our area. Models have backed off on instability over the Valley which would promote only isolated coverage of any storms tomorrow, although scattered showers appear likely. In the mountains, more scattered thunderstorm activity is expected as this wave pushes through. Once again, with the abundant moisture, will have to keep an eye out for flash flooding, including over recently burned areas, with any stronger storms. By Monday evening most activity will be out of the area with possibly some mountain storms or showers lingering. More activity is now expected on Tuesday mainly in the mountains, although some guidance suggests isolated showers in the Valley. Mountain thunderstorms will be possible in the afternoon and evening this day. By Wednesday, ridging reclaims the area although the monsoonal moisture may still make it to the Sierra to initiate isolated storms over the mountains. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Thursday THROUGH Sunday)... Ensembles continue to show Four Corners ridging and an upper level low over the Pacific. Afternoon and evening thunderstorm chances continue late week into the weekend with breezy onshore winds at times. The aforementioned ridge may retreat to the east late weekend bringing a possible pattern change. Temperatures will be seasonal throughout the period. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions are generally forecast to prevail over the next 24 hours. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible over the mountains. Shower and thunderstorm chances will then expand to the Valley after 06Z Monday. Any thunderstorms may result in brief periods of MVFR/IFR ceilings and/or visibilities. Winds are generally expected to remain below 15 knots. Exception to this is in vicinity of the Delta where gusts to 35 knots will be possible, as well as in the vicinity of thunderstorms where gusty/erratic winds are possible. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept all of Zone 13 in extreme drought (D3). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept approximately the western half of Zone 14 in extreme drought (D3) with the remainder of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept all of Zone 15 in extreme drought (D3). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts to the region include; little to no allocation of water from irrigation districts to agriculture, reduced rangeland forage without alternative forage, hay prices at record levels, cattle being sold, including calves that are typically sold in late Fall, increased fire danger, as well as increasing reports of dry wells. The local economy continues to be significantly impacted.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept all of Zone 16 in extreme drought (D3). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts to the region include; little to no allocation of water from irrigation districts to agriculture, reduced rangeland forage without alternative forage, hay prices at record levels, cattle being sold, including calves that are typically sold in late Fall, increased fire danger, as well as increasing reports of dry wells. The local economy continues to be significantly impacted.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the majority of Zone 17 in extreme drought (D3). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Some of the impacts the region saw included; reduced forage, decreased stock weights, livestock stress, selling of livestock, decrease in water allocation, increased reports of dry wells including domestic wells, hauling of water, and fallowed areas of cropland.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the eastern portion of Zone 18 in extreme drought (D3) with the remainder of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Some of the impacts the region saw included; reduced forage, decreased stock weights, livestock stress, selling of livestock, decrease in water allocation, increased reports of dry wells including domestic wells, hauling of water, and fallowed areas of cropland.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor degraded interior portions of Zone 19 to exceptional drought (D4) and kept the remainder of the zone in extreme drought (D3) with the far western border of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the majority of Zone 63 in extreme drought (D3) with the far western border of the zone remaining in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts to the region include; little to no allocation of water from irrigation districts to agriculture, reduced rangeland forage without alternative forage, hay prices at record levels, cattle being sold, including calves that are typically sold in late Fall, increased fire danger, as well as increasing reports of dry wells. The local economy continues to be impacted.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the the northern and western portions of Zone 66 in extreme drought (D3) with the remainder of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts to the region include; little to no allocation of water from irrigation districts to agriculture, reduced rangeland forage without alternative forage, hay prices at record levels, cattle being sold, including calves that are typically sold in late Fall, as well as increasing reports of dry wells. The local economy continues to be impacted.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor expanded the southern portion of Zone 67 in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties in exceptional drought (D4), and severe drought (D2) in the far northeastern portion of the zone as well as the remainder of the zone in extreme drought (D3). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the far northwestern portion of Zone 68 in extreme drought (D3) and the remainder of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
For the month of August, the U.S. Drought Monitor kept the southern portion of Zone 69 in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties in exceptional drought (D4), and expanded a large region in the southwestern portion of the zone in extreme drought (D3) and the remainder of the zone in severe drought (D2). The zone saw drought impacts continue due to the below average precipitation for the water year. Drought impacts include but are not limited too: agriculture, water supplies, recreation, and ecosystems.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2022
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: 1044688, 1044689, 1044690, 1044691, 1044692, 1044693, 1044694, 1044695, 1044696, 1044697, 1044698, 1044699.