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New Water Bill Holds Promise

The $10 billion Congressional water bill that was approved last month transfers federal control of some water supplies in California to water authorities at the state level and provides funds for some badly needed structures is being applauded by farmers both north and south. President Obama signed the bill Dec. 16.  Sweeping victories by Republicans in the November elections that gave them majorities in the House and Senate as well as the presidency have brought dramatic changes in the ways California’s water resources — much of them stored or conveyed in federally financed structures — will be allocated.

 

Chilly Weather Brings Rare Dusting Of Snow To Bay Area Peaks

The start of 2017 brought a rare dusting of snow to some locations in the Bay Area.  Rain fell overnight Sunday and the cold temperatures meant snow fell in elevations as low as 1,500 feet. Our cameras captured white caps on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and St. Helena in Napa County. At noon, it was snowing at Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, on Mt. St. Helena. The parking lot, at 2250 feet elevation, is only about half way up the mountain. That assured that the colder, cloud hidden summit was being pelted by much heavier snow.

Storms Offer Hope For Easing The Drought

A wet and snowy December may set the stage for what’s ahead this winter – or not. California’s winter is notorious for weather extremes. Some January’s have delivered abundant precipitation while others have been bone dry.
The latest map shows less of the state under extreme drought conditions mostly in the Central Valley and portions of Southern California. The water content of the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack is at 72 percent of average for this time of winter. The snowpack usually is at its deepest and most water-laden around April 1st.

After Sales Tax Hike’s Failure, SANDAG Anticipates Delays to Long-Term Highway Improvements

The defeat of a November ballot measure and overly bullish economic forecasts are causing delays to the construction of new trolley lines and highway improvements, forcing a regional planning organization to seek new strategies to pay for its long list of transportation projects. A part of the San Diego Association of Government’s new approach is due to the failure of Measure A, an ballot item that, had it passed, would have levied a half-cent sales tax that was expected to raise $18 billion over 40 years to pay for transportation and infrastructure projects.

 

After Six Years Of Drought, This Is The Winter Weather We’re ‘Supposed To Be Getting,’ Meteorologists Say

The slow but steady improvement in California’s drought picture should accelerate in the new year with a series of storms that are expected to dump rain and snow in Northern California. The northern half of the state has already seen impressive rains this fall and winter, filling reservoirs and replenishing the Sierra snowpack, a key source of water for California cities and farmlands.

After A Year Of Weird Weather, Is There More Unpredictability To Come?

San Diego County’s weather in 2016, like many things in that unusual year, did not play out as expected. It was dry when it was supposed to be very wet. And vice versa. Now it appears the region will stay wet, at least for a while.The one constant through 2016 was warmth. Excessive warmth at times. Every month of the year was warmer than normal — including December, which had a string of cold mornings and afternoons.