Following a welcomed parade of El Niño storms drenching drought-stricken California, state officials on Tuesday will decide whether to extend emergency conservation orders, and reveal how much water Californians saved in December. The figures are expected to show that for a third straight month, Californians missed a mandate to use 25 percent less water. […]
It didn’t rain too heavily during January but it sure rained often, resulting in rainfall far above average for the month. In Chico, 8.61 inches fell during the month at the Enterprise-Record weather station, nearly double the 4.86 inches normal for the month. The National Weather Service put the rain in Oroville for January […]
The U.S. Forest Service today released a new report, Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis, that provides a national assessment of peer-reviewed scientific research on the impacts of drought on U.S. forests and rangelands. This report will help the Forest Service better manage forests and grasslands […]
California’s unprecedented dry spell has tested the limits of drought-tolerant ferns, which carpet the forest floor underneath the West Coast’s iconic redwoods, according to a new study by UC Santa Cruz scientists. “We’ve never seen a drought of this magnitude,” said co-author Jarmila Pittermann, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “You’re used to […]
The prodigious storm that brought nearly an inch of rain to Fresno on Sunday left another gift overnight – snow along ridges on the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. The snow level dropped to below 2,000 feet overnight as the cold storm moved through the area, said Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist […]
What a difference a month of rain makes. Two months ago, Folsom Lake stood at its lowest depth in history, and federal officials were engineering a special pumping system to ensure drinking water would keep flowing to Sacramento suburbs. Following a month of persistent rain and snow in Northern California, lake levels are triple […]
California Weighs Extending Drought Conservation Orders
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Associated Press (As Published by ABC News Fresno)by By Scott SmithFollowing a welcomed parade of El Niño storms drenching drought-stricken California, state officials on Tuesday will decide whether to extend emergency conservation orders, and reveal how much water Californians saved in December. The figures are expected to show that for a third straight month, Californians missed a mandate to use 25 percent less water. […]
January Rainfall about Double What’s Normal
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /ChicoERIt didn’t rain too heavily during January but it sure rained often, resulting in rainfall far above average for the month. In Chico, 8.61 inches fell during the month at the Enterprise-Record weather station, nearly double the 4.86 inches normal for the month. The National Weather Service put the rain in Oroville for January […]
Effects of Drought for Forests and Rangelands
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /AG Net West (Fresno)The U.S. Forest Service today released a new report, Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis, that provides a national assessment of peer-reviewed scientific research on the impacts of drought on U.S. forests and rangelands. This report will help the Forest Service better manage forests and grasslands […]
UCSC Study: Drought Testing Limits of Hardy Ferns
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Santa Cruz Sentinelby By Samantha ClarkCalifornia’s unprecedented dry spell has tested the limits of drought-tolerant ferns, which carpet the forest floor underneath the West Coast’s iconic redwoods, according to a new study by UC Santa Cruz scientists. “We’ve never seen a drought of this magnitude,” said co-author Jarmila Pittermann, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “You’re used to […]
Snow Tops Peaks on West Side of Central San Joaquin Valley, Affects National Park Access
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno Beeby By Rory Appleton and Lewis GriswoldThe prodigious storm that brought nearly an inch of rain to Fresno on Sunday left another gift overnight – snow along ridges on the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. The snow level dropped to below 2,000 feet overnight as the cold storm moved through the area, said Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist […]
Buoyed by Recent Rains, Folsom Lake Levels Triple
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby By Phillip Reese, Ryan Sabalow and Dale KaslerWhat a difference a month of rain makes. Two months ago, Folsom Lake stood at its lowest depth in history, and federal officials were engineering a special pumping system to ensure drinking water would keep flowing to Sacramento suburbs. Following a month of persistent rain and snow in Northern California, lake levels are triple […]