Dramatic shrinking of New Melones Reservoir in California is seen in this animation of Landsat images. The first was acquired on July 8, 2002, after a wet season that brought just slightly less precipitation than average. The second is from Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Source: USGS Earth Explorer)
I didn't think that the release today of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report would bring significant news about California. As the report says, with much of the state categorized as being in extreme or exceptional drought, and May through September being normally dry anyway, "there is not much more room for further deterioration, at least during the dry season."
