Another barrage of rare storms has pummeled Southern California with rain, snow, and hail in the recent weeks, the National Weather Service said it isn’t likely California’s drought will be over soon.
The latest in a lengthy spate of blustery storms making for a wet and icy winter in the San Diego area brought more widespread precipitation and stiff winds to the region Wednesday, but Thursday will be sunny and warmer after a cold morning.
By late Wednesday morning, the unsettled atmospheric system out of the northwest, which moved over the county early in the workweek, had delivered more than three inches of rain in some areas, scattered hail and upward of 10 more inches of snow in the mountains, the National Weather Service reported.
Torrential rains are periodically pounding California this winter and putting a dent in the most extreme drought conditions of the past 1,200 years. While that’s a relief for some 40 million residents, it’s also a reminder of the feast-or-famine climate that rules California and creates major challenges for water managers.
The Helix Water District recently completed an extensive rehabilitation of its Tunnel Hill water storage tanks. The two tanks are above Interstate 8 near the Los Coches freeway exit. The tanks play an important role in the water infrastructure system by storing and providing water to thousands of Helix Water District customers in Lakeside and El Cajon.
The Helix Water District just wrapped up its Tunnel Hills water tank restoration project, ensuring thousands of East County residents’ drinking supply.
“Water tanks are an essential part of any potable water system,” Tim Ross, Director of Engineering with the Helix Water District said.
The Tunnel Hills water tanks are two of 25 water tanks the Helix Water District manages across San Diego County. They serve about 55,000 customers.
This weekend brought San Diego county one of the season’s biggest winter storms.
A cold storm from the north on Thursday brought low temperatures and snow levels down to 2,000 feet of elevation. Then conditions warmed as an atmospheric river brought tropical moisture to the region.
California was hit Monday with yet another winter storm, adding to what has become an unusually cold and wet season that some experts say has the chance to become one of the snowiest on record if conditions continue.
The new winter storm is forecast to bring more rain and snow across the state through Wednesday, though forecasters say it isn’t expected to be as exceptional as the previous system, which brought snowfall to unusually low elevations almost statewide.
This month the Santa Fe Irrigation District is preparing to increase water rate charges for the next three years. The rate structure approved by the board in late 2022 was for tiered rates with a meter overlay for residential properties, an option they believe is unique to accommodate the variations in the district from small Solana Beach city lots to larger properties in Rancho Santa Fe.
It seems like we’re always in a drought in Southern California, so when it rains, the question becomes: Where did all that precious water go?
Well, not all of it ends up in the ocean. According to Art Castro, watershed manager at the L.A. Department of Water and Power, in the last four days alone, the city of L.A. captured enough water to fill about 8,900 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The final shutdown for scheduled maintenance of the San Diego County Water Authority’s First Aqueduct started today, February 27. The shutdown will run through March 8, allowing crews to reline portions of the historic aqueduct and perform regular maintenance work that ensures a safe and reliable water supply for the region.
