{"id":283536,"date":"2026-04-24T09:16:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/283536\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T09:16:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:16:22","slug":"ca-summer-weather-forecast-temperatures-drought-storms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/283536\/","title":{"rendered":"CA summer weather forecast: Temperatures, drought & storms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weather across California has been anything but predictable lately, swinging from sunny skies to stretches of heavy rain<\/a> and mountain snow<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With summer just a couple of months away, many might be wondering what comes next.<\/p>\n

Will these sudden weather shifts continue \u2014 or is a long stretch of hot days on the way?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the 2026 summer outlook shows:<\/p>\n

\"Matthew Matthew Johnson of Rancho Cordova, center, plays with his children, Logan Johnson, 2, left, and Fiona Johnson, 3, in the American River. Randy Pench rpench@sacbee.com When is the first day of summer?<\/p>\n

The first day of summer<\/a> is marked by the summer solstice, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, according to the Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac.<\/p>\n

This happens when the North Pole is tilted closest to the sun, giving the Northern Hemisphere its longest day of the year and the most daylight.<\/p>\n

In California, the official start of summer<\/a> falls on June 21.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in the summer 2026 forecast for California?<\/p>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s Climate Prediction Center expects above-normal temperatures<\/a> across the state from June through August.<\/p>\n

\u201cNormal\u201d is based on the average of all temperatures<\/a> from 1991 to 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dominant weather pattern expected to shape California\u2019s summer this year is the persistence of mid-level high pressure,\u201d said Anthony Artusa, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center.<\/p>\n

This will allow temperatures \u2014 especially inland \u2014 to climb.<\/p>\n

Coastal areas might stay a bit cooler due to the marine layer.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a chance that monsoon moisture could bring thunderstorms later in the summer.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s \u201cdifficult to predict the specific details of this feature well in advance,\u201d Artusa said.<\/p>\n

Could El Ni\u00f1o impact summer weather?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s about an 80% chance that an El Ni\u00f1o pattern will develop this summer, according to Dan Collins, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould an El Ni\u00f1o develop, impacts on California weather in summer are weak,\u201d Collins said. \u201cSignificant impacts of an El Ni\u00f1o are more likely in autumn and winter, when El Ni\u00f1o years are more likely to experience increased precipitation and cooler temperatures in the south, while less-than-average precipitation and warmer-than-average temperatures are more likely in the north.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warmer temperatures tied to broader climate patterns could increase drought conditions and wildfire risks as the season goes on.<\/p>\n

Will California see more heat waves this year?<\/p>\n

The northern half of the state is most at risk for dangerous heat this summer, \u201cespecially once impacts from El Ni\u00f1o begin to be felt\u201d from June through September, Artusa said.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change research suggests that extreme heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense,\u201d said Courtney Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service<\/p>\n

How are current drought and water levels in California?<\/p>\n

As of Tuesday, April 21, about 44% of California<\/a> showed no drought conditions, according to the federal Drought Monitor.<\/p>\n

The remaining 56% of the state was \u201cabnormally dry,\u201d<\/a> with about 5% experiencing \u201cmoderate drought\u201d conditions, the drought monitor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor at least the time being, there is very little drought across the state,\u201d Artusa said. \u201cHowever, this may become more problematic with time as expected impacts from El Ni\u00f1o begin to be felt across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the state Water Resources Department, reservoirs across California<\/a> were holding approximately 33 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, April 21.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall water supply in California is a function of two factors: water availability and water demand,\u201d said Pete Fickenscher, Development and Operations Hydrologist with the California Nevada River Forecast Center. \u201cWater availability is largely determined by wintertime precipitation and springtime runoff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Precipitation in key regions \u2014 including the Sierra Nevada<\/a> \u2014 has been near or above normal<\/a>, and an early spring runoff helped boost reservoir levels to about 120% of the historical average<\/a> for mid-April.<\/p>\n

\u201cWater demand, particularly during the summer season, can vary from year to year depending on temperatures and water quality requirements,\u201d Fickenscher said. \u201cHowever, with statewide reservoir storage currently well above normal conditions, even high water demand is not expected to cause water supply issues this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are the chances for summer storms?<\/p>\n

The Climate Prediction Center\u2019s seasonal precipitation outlook<\/a> shows \u201cequal chances<\/a>\u201d of above-normal, near-normal or below-normal precipitation levels for June, July and August.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe typically don\u2019t receive much precipitation across the state during those months but can see periods of mountain showers and thunderstorms if enough monsoon moisture pushes north,\u201d Carpenter said.<\/p>\n

While thunderstorms can only be forecast<\/a> within a week or two in advance, the meteorologist said, the weather agency \u201cwill be watching for the potential for pushes of monsoon moisture up into the Sierra from the desert southwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese thunderstorms can bring heavy rainfall and potential flooding issues with them, but sometimes lack moisture and bring dry lightning, which can cause potential wildfire starts,\u201d Carpenter said.<\/p>\n

\"The The Pannell-Meadowview Recreation Pool in south Sacramento is packed with people on a hot summer day in 2010. Autumn Cruz Sacramento Bee file Where are highest wildfire risks in California this summer?<\/p>\n

Current wildland fire outlooks<\/a> from the National Interagency Coordination Center show a higher-than-normal risk of wildfire activity in parts of Northern California this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeat waves and dry conditions can exacerbate fire and fuels conditions across the state,\u201d Carpenter said.<\/p>\n

Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Weather across California has been anything but predictable lately, swinging from sunny skies to stretches of heavy rain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":{"0":"post-283536","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sacramento","8":"tag-sacramento","9":"tag-sacramento-headlines","10":"tag-sacramento-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}