The four-year drought that plagues California has spread to western Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas, as unseasonably high temperatures and gusty winds have raised the drought ranking from moderate to extreme or exceptional on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.

Drought conditions have intensified in the Great Basin region covering Nevada and most of Utah, as well as the Four Corners area. Conditions that ranged from abnormally dry to severe in most of the Southwest were unchanged last week. In some areas, water-year precipitation is less than 50% of normal.

In Texas, more than 4 million people are affected by extreme or exceptional drought, and more than 3 million others by severe drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, some 11.7 million Texans — about 47% of the entire state’s population — are experiencing drought conditions ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought.

In Oklahoma nearly 3.5 million of the state’s 3.75 million residents are experiencing some level of drought. Only the southeastern corner of the state is free of drought conditions. The bad news related to the dry conditions in Oklahoma is that most of the affected region is experiencing a long-term drought that affects the hydrology and ecology of the area. The same is true in some parts of Texas.

The worst news, of course, is from California, where the state’s snow-pack currently stands at about 5% of average and stream flows have dropped into the fifth percentile over much of the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor for March 31 notes:

Even with some precipitation in the forecast across central and northern California, any rain and mountain snow — while welcomed — would likely do little to improve the state’s dire drought prospects.

Last week, California’s governor ordered mandatory water-use restrictions for the first time in the state’s history.

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