Soil Moisture in California
Across 22 monitoring stations in California, 8 are wetter than normal, 5 are about normal, and 9 are drier than normal. Last updated July 18, 2026.
How This Is Measured
Every reading here is measured by an in-ground sensor at USDA SCAN (Soil Climate Analysis Network) and NOAA USCRN (US Climate Reference Network) stations, at or near the 2-inch root-zone depth, not modeled. A raw moisture percentage is not comparable between two soils, so each station is compared against its own history for the date. That comparison, wetter or drier than this station normally is, is the honest signal.
Stations Measuring Soil Moisture in California (22)
| Station | Depth | Moisture | vs. Normal | Last Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Valley Jct | 2" | 0% | Much drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Deep Springs | 2" | 5% | Normal for this time of year | 2026-07-18 |
| Desert Center | 2" | 3% | Drier than normal | 2026-07-17 |
| Doe Ridge | 2" | 2% | Much wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Eagle Lake | 2" | 0% | Drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Essex | 2" | 8% | Wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Fallbrook 5 NE | 2" | 11% | Much drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Redding 12 WNW | 2" | 4% | Drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Santa Barbara 11 W | 2" | 4% | Normal for this time of year | 2026-07-18 |
| Stovepipe Wells 1 SW | 2" | 3% | Drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Yosemite Village 12 W | 2" | 1% | Drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Chimney Creek | 2" | 0% | Much drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Monocline Ridge | 2" | 10% | Normal for this time of year | 2026-07-18 |
| Marble Creek | 2" | 3% | Normal for this time of year | 2026-07-18 |
| Shadow Mtns | 2" | 15% | Much wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Adobe | 2" | 0% | Much drier than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Vallecitos | 2" | 16% | Wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Bodie Hills | 2" | 3% | Wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Stubblefield | 2" | 6% | Normal for this time of year | 2026-07-18 |
| Rancheria | 2" | 2% | Much wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| Ford Dry Lake | 2" | 4% | Wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
| French Gulch | 2" | 1% | Wetter than normal | 2026-07-18 |
Moisture is the volumetric water content at the sensor. It is not comparable between soils, which is why the “vs. normal” comparison against each station’s own history is the reading to trust. A dash means that station does not yet have enough of its own history for a confident comparison.
Cities in California (314)
Open a city for its nearest station’s current soil moisture and temperature, planting windows, and lawn-care timing.
Soil Moisture FAQ for California
How wet is the soil in California right now?
Across 22 monitoring stations in California, 8 are wetter than normal, 5 are about normal, and 9 are drier than normal. Last updated July 18, 2026. Each station is compared against its own moisture history for the date, so the reading means the same thing everywhere.
Where does California soil moisture data come from?
Every value is measured by an in-ground sensor, not estimated from a weather model. Readings come from the USDA SCAN network and NOAA USCRN stations, at or near the 2-inch root-zone depth (some stations report at the nearest available depth), and are refreshed daily.
What does wetter or drier than normal mean?
For each station, the current reading is compared against that station's own readings around this date across several years, after leaving out frozen-soil days. A raw moisture percentage is not comparable between two different soils, so the comparison against a station's own history is what makes the reading meaningful.
See the national soil moisture map, the full California soil temperature directory (all depths), or the live national soil temperature map.