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Dry, Warmer Weather Predicted for San Diego County This Week as Santa Ana Conditions Develop

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Elizabeth Ireland

Fair, dry, and warmer weather was predicted to prevail in San Diego County this week as Santa Ana conditions develop, the National Weather Service said Sunday.

Strong high pressure over the Great Basin and low pressure offshore were expected to create gusty winds at times below the passes and canyons, forecasters said. Temperatures were likely to be above average through at least midweek, with some cooling expected by week’s end as stalled low pressure over the Pacific is drawn closer to the coast.

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The Western U.S. Might Be Seeing its Last Snowy Winters

/in , , /by /Fast Companyby Adele Peters

When a fire started spreading quickly in Boulder County, Colorado, on December 30, destroying nearly 1,000 homes as residents fled, the ground was dry. This was unusual: Boulder typically gets around 30 inches of snow between September and December. But last year, it had only a total of 1.7 inches over the same period before heavier snow finally started falling on December 31—too late to save the neighborhoods that burned.

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Snowpack Up 160% in ‘Good Start’ to 2022

/in , , /by /AgAlertby Christine Souza

After two consecutive years of drought, the state Department of Water Resources conducted the season’s first manual survey of the snowpack Dec. 30 and found a promising result—deep snow totaling 160% of average for the time of year.

State Climatologist Michael Anderson said storms in December that dumped several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and brought much-needed precipitation were “a great start to the water year.”

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‘Extraordinary is No Longer Extraordinary’: US Scientists on a Year of Climate Disasters

/in , , /by /The Guardian

The American west faced an unprecedented year of climate disasters in 2021.

A cold wave in February triggered temperatures 50F below average in Texas, killing at least 150 across the state and leaving millions without power and water. Heatwaves over the summer broke temperature records across different western states, killing hundreds in the northwestern US and Canada. Fires seared through large swathes of the west, razing the northern California town of Greenville and searing through groves of giant sequoia trees.

This summer, the Guardian interviewed a panel of climate scientists about their experiences living through the crises that climate research had long foretold. As the year ends, they share their reflections on what’s happened – and what gives them hope, even as climate catastrophe looms.

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Drought Remains a Threat Even After Wet December

/in , , /by /Orange County Registerby Martin Wisckol

Despite December’s heavy rains and record snowfall, water agencies remain geared up for California’s two-year-old drought to extend through 2022.

The precipitation did bring encouraging signs, including a Dec. 30 report from the Department of Water Resources that the snowpack at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada is at a healthy level. The 78 inches of snow was 202% of the average for the site at that time of year, offering hope for an abundance of the imported water used in much of Southern California.

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Higher Rates for LADWP’s Biggest Water Users Are Now in Effect

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Susan Carpenter

Water-hogging customers in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power service area will see higher bills this year.

Effective Jan. 1, LADWP began charging its heaviest water users as much as $3.60 more for every 748 gallons they take from their taps. Water bills for customers who use lower amounts will stay roughly the same as last year.

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No, California’s Drought Isn’t Over. Here’s Why.

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

In a clear sign that the drought persists, California today adopted new emergency regulations aimed at stopping residents from wasting the state’s precious water.

The rules ban practices such as hosing down sidewalks and driveways with drinking water, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle on the hose and irrigating lawns and gardens too soon after rain.

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California Approves New Water-Wasting Rules as Conservation Falls Below Newsom’s Target

/in , , /by /Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Recent rains have eased California’s drought, but in the dry November before December’s deluge, many of the state’s residents still weren’t heeding calls to conserve water.

For the fifth month in a row since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked California residents to voluntarily cut water use, they missed the target — by a lot, largely due to lagging conservation by Southern Californians. Amid that news, and emphasizing that California’s drought still isn’t over, state water officials approved new rules Tuesday to prohibit wasteful water practices like washing cars without a hose shutoff nozzle.

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California is Suddenly Snow-Capped and Very Wet. But How Long Will the Water Rush Last?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by Hayley Smith and Paul Duginski

The dusty hills of Griffith Park are sprouting shades of green. In Pasadena, water is streaming through arroyos that only weeks ago sat caked and dry. And from the perfect vantage point downtown, the distant San Gabriel Mountains are gleaming with crowns of snow.

After one of the driest years in recent memory, Los Angeles — and California — is off to a notably wet start. The state received more precipitation in the final three months of 2021 than in the previous 12 months, the National Weather Service said.

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Lake Oroville Rises 89 Feet, Power Plant Resumes Operation After December Rains

/in , , /by /Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers
After two years of setbacks and struggles due to a severe drought, California got some good water news on Tuesday. The reservoir behind the tallest dam in the state and the nation, Lake Oroville in Butte County, now has enough water in it after heavy December rains that the power plant began operating again.
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