5.1 million fewer Californians live in drought conditions than did last week
Torrential November rain has reduced the number of Californians living in drought from 13.3 million to 8.2 million in a single week.
Approximately 5.1 million Californians have exited drought conditions over the past week, according to new data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The updated figures—produced jointly by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), NOAA, and the USDA—indicate that the population living in drought-designated areas dropped to 8.2 million as of November 18th, 2025, down a staggering 61.6% from roughly 13.3 million just a week earlier.
This shift reflects the impact of the atmospheric river that moved through the state between November 12 and November 16, saturating the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada.
Importantly, as the data is valid only through Tuesday morning, the numbers do not yet account for the active weather systems impacting California this weekend.
Rapid Recovery in the Central Valley
The most significant improvements occurred in the state's agricultural center and mountain ranges, where heavy precipitation drove a 1-class improvement in drought severity.
As the change data show, the storm track aligned perfectly with the Central Valley and portions of the Central Coast, effectively erasing short-term moisture deficits in those regions before the Tuesday data cutoff.
By the Numbers
The reduction in drought coverage was substantial across the board. According to the new metrics:
- Drought-Free Area: The percentage of the state classified as free of dryness or drought increased from 49.04% on November 11 to 70.12% on November 18.
- Severity Reduction: The total land area categorized under drought (categories D1–D4) was reduced by more than half, dropping from 31.86% to 14.86%.
Regional Disparities
While the central and northern regions are largely clear, conditions in Southern California remained drier as of the reporting deadline.
- Northern/Central California: Largely classified as having "None" (no drought or dryness).
- Southern California: Portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties remain classified as Abnormally Dry (D0).
- Border Regions: San Diego and Imperial County remain in Moderate Drought (D1).
However, with rain currently falling in the Los Angeles basin today, these southern classifications may see further improvement in the next weekly update.
National Context
California’s recovery stands in contrast to persistent dry signals in other parts of the country.
- Northeast: Conditions remain critical in the tri-state area, where a pocket of Extreme Drought (D3) persists across New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southern New York.
- Southwest: The moisture that benefited California did not reach deep enough to alleviate deficits in the Four Corners region, where Arizona and New Mexico remain largely classified in severe drought categories.
Looking Ahead
The rapid contraction of drought conditions across California marks a distinct shift in the state's hydrology for mid-November. While the data highlights a divide between the saturated northern regions and the drier south, the active weather pattern currently affecting Los Angeles suggests this gap may narrow in upcoming reports.
As California sees varying levels of improvement, the persistence of extreme drought in the Northeast and Southwest underscores the highly localized nature of these recent storm systems.
