SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More areas of California have entered "Extreme" drought conditions since heavy rain essentially stopped in January.
The US Drought Monitor has now increased the "Extreme" category of drought in California to 40%, up about 3% from the previous week.
This is the second highest tier of drought on their scale. "Exceptional" drought is the top level and during the last drought in the mid 2010s, up to 58% of the state was in the "Exceptional" category.
Rain has been very hard to come by so far this year. Before a recent storm, the Sacramento area experienced a record streak of 66 days without any rain during the rainy season. The storms that have occurred this calendar year have produced some rain and snow, but not enough to make any serious impact to future water supplies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Monday that aims to require cities and local water districts to adopt stricter conservation rules. He's also directed the state water board to consider a ban on watering of gas used for purely ornamental purposes. Newsom administration officials say local officials are better poised than the state to dictate limits on water use because they understand community needs. Restrictions could include further limiting household's outdoor water use or less frequently watering parks and other public spaces.
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