SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – According to the National Weather Service, Monday was day 38 without measurable rainfall in downtown San Francisco.

December, January, and February are usually considered the core wet months.

It’s not unusual to have a two or three-week dry period in the winter but this mid-winter dry spell that we’re in right now is the fourth driest on the National Weather Services records and that goes back 173 years.

“Our vegetation is actually starting to dry out.”

If you take a look at the California drought map, it reflects that. Almost all of the state is in the moderate to severe drought category.

In a study recently published in the journal, “Nature Climate Change,” scientists are calling it a megadrought.

The study measured moisture in the soil and found 2000 to 2021 was the driest 22 year period since at least the year 800.

On a narrower scale, NWS warning coordination meteorologist Brian Garcia says the current water year could get very dry.

“That bandaid is about to get ripped off and we’re looking like we’re going to see those drought impacts again as we head into the summer months.”

The water year runs from October 1 to September 30. Garcia says it started out very wet in October, November was dry, but then December was another wet month.

“Because of those two wet months for the water year right now across the Bay Area we are anywhere between 80 percent of normal to right around 100 percent of normal.”

December, January and February are usually the core wet month but meteorologists aren’t forecasting much rain through the end of February.

“That means those percentages will continue to decrease over time as we march towards September 30.”

Garcia also added that despite the fact that we’re in the wetter months, we’ve had several very warm days that broke records recently. That dried out the vegetation which could lead to fires.

“Keep in mind that fire starts are possible in mid-winter when we don’t have any rain. So make sure you watch those sparks.”

He also tells me it’s always a good time to conserve water, so he recommends doing that any way you can.