Wild weather swings across the globe are caused, in part, by the phenomenon known as El Niño. That’s the warming of the Pacific Ocean that leads to drought in much of Africa, and soaking rain and floods on America’s West Coast. But in Southern California, it appears that El Niño is temporarily on hold.
California’s soggy start to winter had many predicting the end of the state’s record drought. Myths and overstatements popped up like weeds after winter rain. Some said El Niño’s powerful storms could wash away the drought by spring. Others said the state couldn’t officially declare an end to the drought until reservoirs filled up. And […]
As a wet and windy storm blows in off the Pacific, a new San Jose-based radar system is watching it with the greatest precision ever, estimating rainfall in individual communities rather than providing a more general Bay Area forecast. Discrete patches of incoming moisture are detected by a humming “X-band” radar unit on the rooftop […]
The weather, up to its usual surprises, brought summer sunshine to the Bay Area this week in the dead of winter at the same time that Sierra snowpack figures for Northern California were measured and found to be practically normal. The snowpack in the northern reaches of the Sierra, which stretches from near the Oregon […]
Recently, some legislators have been demanding that state and federal agencies – or Congress – overrule the decisions of agency biologists and scientists in order to increase the amount of water pumped out of the Delta, complaining that the state and federal water projects are not capturing most of the water from recent storms. Yet […]
America’s two leading climate science agencies are conducting an unprecedented survey via land, sea and air to investigate the current El Niño event and better understand its impact on weather systems that have brought both parched and soaking conditions to North America. The project, which will conclude in March, will deploy resources from the National […]
What Happened to the “Godzilla” El Niño?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CBS Newsby By Ben TracyWild weather swings across the globe are caused, in part, by the phenomenon known as El Niño. That’s the warming of the Pacific Ocean that leads to drought in much of Africa, and soaking rain and floods on America’s West Coast. But in Southern California, it appears that El Niño is temporarily on hold.
Fact & Fiction: Ending California’s Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Politifactby By Chris NicholsCalifornia’s soggy start to winter had many predicting the end of the state’s record drought. Myths and overstatements popped up like weeds after winter rain. Some said El Niño’s powerful storms could wash away the drought by spring. Others said the state couldn’t officially declare an end to the drought until reservoirs filled up. And […]
Bay Area Weather: New Radar Better Predicts Just Where and Just How Much Rain to Expect
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Jose Mercury Newsby By Lisa M. KriegerAs a wet and windy storm blows in off the Pacific, a new San Jose-based radar system is watching it with the greatest precision ever, estimating rainfall in individual communities rather than providing a more general Bay Area forecast. Discrete patches of incoming moisture are detected by a humming “X-band” radar unit on the rooftop […]
Sierra Snowpack at 99% of Normal with More Powder on the Way
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SF Gateby By Steve RubensteinThe weather, up to its usual surprises, brought summer sunshine to the Bay Area this week in the dead of winter at the same time that Sierra snowpack figures for Northern California were measured and found to be practically normal. The snowpack in the northern reaches of the Sierra, which stretches from near the Oregon […]
BLOG: 66% of Storm Runoff in California’s Bay-Delta Watershed was Captured in January 2016
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Switchboard (Natural Resources Defense Council)by By Doug ObegiRecently, some legislators have been demanding that state and federal agencies – or Congress – overrule the decisions of agency biologists and scientists in order to increase the amount of water pumped out of the Delta, complaining that the state and federal water projects are not capturing most of the water from recent storms. Yet […]
NOAA and NASA Team Up to Investigate Strong El Niño
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Climate Centralby Oliver MilmanAmerica’s two leading climate science agencies are conducting an unprecedented survey via land, sea and air to investigate the current El Niño event and better understand its impact on weather systems that have brought both parched and soaking conditions to North America. The project, which will conclude in March, will deploy resources from the National […]