Hot days (and no rain) start our new Water Year

It’s official; it’s hot. But it’s also been pretty dry.

Sacramento started a new “Water Year” Oct. 1 with a 100-degree-plus day – and another likely today (Wednesday).  According to the National Weather Service, Tuesday’s 101 was the 46th triple-digit day in Sacramento since June 1. 

This week’s high temperatures are running about 20 degrees above normal for early October. With temperatures up to 106 degrees, a heat advisory remains in effect in the Sacramento Valley through 11 p.m. Thursday.

This current hot spell also has been very dry, toasting vegetation and creating high fire danger.

In fact, Sacramento has seen precious little rain since May with only a trace in September. Average for those summer months usually isn’t much, but it’s something: 0.36 inches.

And that was just about the difference between a totally average Water Year and one slightly below that mark.

Used by climatologists to evaluate water resources, our Water Year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Average for downtown Sacramento: 18.14 inches.

Concluded on Monday, our 2023-24 Water Year totaled 17.6 inches. That sum was buoyed by a wet winter; big storms in December, January and February added up to 12.85 inches, more than 2 inches above normal for that period.

That wet winter brought a flurry of spring growth in wildlands. But our crispy summer – the hottest on record – parched that vegetation, increasing our fire danger.

Last fall, our Water Year got off to a slow start with only 0.96 inches total for October and November – 1.5 inches below average. But a very damp December (4.69 inches) made up for that deficit and kept us out of drought.

How will this Water Year shape up? Stay tuned; it’s too early to tell.

Meanwhile, keep some water handy and stay hydrated during this heat spell. (That goes for your garden, too.) A return to more normal fall temperatures is expected next week.