A month that’s been called miraculous for California’s water supply is marching toward the finale of the rainy season, but as it was heading out the door, storms in Tahoe dumped half a foot of snow on ski resorts Monday night into Tuesday. Without other definitive wet systems on the horizon, the powder — which […]
The rain storms and blizzards that were supposed to come with El Niño were conspicuously non-biblical in California this winter, leaving the state in an ecological limbo that has regulators thinking about easing water-use restrictions in some places but not in others. While the weather cheered ski resorts hit hard by the historic drought and […]
In this timely study, as they describe it, Hatchett et al. (2015) strove to determine whether the hydro-climatic conditions that occurred during the 2012-2015 (hereafter current) California-Nevada drought were “within the range of natural variability documented by paleo-proxy indicators,” which they hoped could lead to the “disentanglement of the relative roles of natural versus anthropogenic […]
After losing a landmark judgment in 2015, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must pay $8.9 million in attorneys’ fees to the San Diego County Water Authority, a San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled Thursday. As the prevailing party, the Water Authority is entitled to its attorneys’ fees, according to the court order; a […]
A spring storm dumped fresh snow to parts of the Sierra and delivered partly cloudy skies and gusty winds to the Sacramento region Monday, capping a weekend of hammock-worthy highs in the 70s. Chain controls were in effect part of the day on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit. By midafternoon, 11 inches of snow had […]
El Niño, or the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, is an occasional warming event in the Pacific Ocean that can initiate weather-related havoc across the U.S. Now, it has a new cousin. By examining 38 years of weather, atmospheric scientists have identified an ocean temperature anomaly — the Pacific Extreme Pattern — that can predict droughts on […]
March Bids Farewell to Sierra with Flurry of Snow
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SFGateby By Kimberly VeklerovA month that’s been called miraculous for California’s water supply is marching toward the finale of the rainy season, but as it was heading out the door, storms in Tahoe dumped half a foot of snow on ski resorts Monday night into Tuesday. Without other definitive wet systems on the horizon, the powder — which […]
Unimpressive El Niño Leaves California in Water Limbo
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SFGateby By Peter Fimrite and Kurtis AlexanderThe rain storms and blizzards that were supposed to come with El Niño were conspicuously non-biblical in California this winter, leaving the state in an ecological limbo that has regulators thinking about easing water-use restrictions in some places but not in others. While the weather cheered ski resorts hit hard by the historic drought and […]
How Unusual Was the California Nevada Drought of 2012-2015?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CO2 Science Magazine (Tempe, Ariz.)In this timely study, as they describe it, Hatchett et al. (2015) strove to determine whether the hydro-climatic conditions that occurred during the 2012-2015 (hereafter current) California-Nevada drought were “within the range of natural variability documented by paleo-proxy indicators,” which they hoped could lead to the “disentanglement of the relative roles of natural versus anthropogenic […]
BLOG: Judge Awards $8.9 Million in Attorneys’ Fees to Water Authority in MWD Rate Case
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /WaterWorld (Tulsa, Okla.) Quoted: Mark WestonAfter losing a landmark judgment in 2015, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must pay $8.9 million in attorneys’ fees to the San Diego County Water Authority, a San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled Thursday. As the prevailing party, the Water Authority is entitled to its attorneys’ fees, according to the court order; a […]
Spring Snow Leads Some Sierra Resorts to Extend Skiing into May
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby By Cathy LockeA spring storm dumped fresh snow to parts of the Sierra and delivered partly cloudy skies and gusty winds to the Sacramento region Monday, capping a weekend of hammock-worthy highs in the 70s. Chain controls were in effect part of the day on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit. By midafternoon, 11 inches of snow had […]
New Cousin of El Niño May Forecast Summer Heat Waves Months in Advance
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /PBS NewsHour (Washington, D.C.)by BY Nsikan AkpanEl Niño, or the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, is an occasional warming event in the Pacific Ocean that can initiate weather-related havoc across the U.S. Now, it has a new cousin. By examining 38 years of weather, atmospheric scientists have identified an ocean temperature anomaly — the Pacific Extreme Pattern — that can predict droughts on […]