Four months ago, the outlook for the Colorado River was so dire that federal projections showed imminent risks of reservoirs dropping to dangerously low levels. But after this winter’s major storms, the river’s depleted reservoirs are set to rise substantially with runoff from the largest snowpack in the watershed since 1997.
After a three-year drought in California and throughout the Southwest, many states throughout the West are measuring record snowpack conditions at NRCS SNOTEL stations and snow courses. Utah especially has seen a benchmark year for snowfall levels throughout the state.
An already wet winter in the mountains that feed the Colorado River got even better in March, providing a significant boost to the amount of water that forecasters expect to flow downstream into Lake Powell this summer. The latest prediction from the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center shows that the river will […]
Since the beginning of December, Lake Oroville’s elevation has shot up by around 200 feet thanks to a constant stream of winter storms. The lake reached a level that has prompted the California Department of Water Resources to let water out over the course of the past month in what the department claims is an […]
If there ever was a winter to check off squares on your Wild Weather Bingo card, 2023 was it. More than 30 atmospheric river storms. 97 mph wind gusts. Destructive tidal surges. Bomb cyclones. Flash floods. Levee breaks. The Fujiwhara Effect. Snow piled more than 240 inches deep at Mammoth Pass. One of the rainiest days on record in […]
Taps ran dry in Rio Verde on New Year’s Day. Water had to be trucked in for household use in the affluent suburb outside Scottsdale, Arizona. The approximately 1,000 residents of the large, suburban stucco homes of Rio Verde were forced to take shorter showers and eat from paper plates.
Drought-Ravaged Colorado River Gets Relief From Snow. But Long-Term Water Crisis Remains
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Los Angeles Timesby Ian JamesFour months ago, the outlook for the Colorado River was so dire that federal projections showed imminent risks of reservoirs dropping to dangerously low levels. But after this winter’s major storms, the river’s depleted reservoirs are set to rise substantially with runoff from the largest snowpack in the watershed since 1997.
Record Snowpack Conditions in California, Parts of Southwest
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Natural Resources Conservation Serviceby NRCS/Water News NetworkAfter a three-year drought in California and throughout the Southwest, many states throughout the West are measuring record snowpack conditions at NRCS SNOTEL stations and snow courses. Utah especially has seen a benchmark year for snowfall levels throughout the state.
Wet Winter Improves Colorado River Forecast; Big Cuts Still Coming
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Las Vegas Review-Journal by Colton LochheadAn already wet winter in the mountains that feed the Colorado River got even better in March, providing a significant boost to the amount of water that forecasters expect to flow downstream into Lake Powell this summer. The latest prediction from the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center shows that the river will […]
Outflows Continue From Lake Oroville
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage, Uncategorized /by Andrea Mora /Enterprise-Recordby Jake HutchisonSince the beginning of December, Lake Oroville’s elevation has shot up by around 200 feet thanks to a constant stream of winter storms. The lake reached a level that has prompted the California Department of Water Resources to let water out over the course of the past month in what the department claims is an […]
7 Charts That Explain California’s Wild Winter of 2023
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /The Mercury News by Scooty Nickerson, Harriet Blair Rowan & Paiching WeiIf there ever was a winter to check off squares on your Wild Weather Bingo card, 2023 was it. More than 30 atmospheric river storms. 97 mph wind gusts. Destructive tidal surges. Bomb cyclones. Flash floods. Levee breaks. The Fujiwhara Effect. Snow piled more than 240 inches deep at Mammoth Pass. One of the rainiest days on record in […]
Science Tackles the West’s Megadrought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Yale Climate Connectionsby Tanya Petach & Emilio MateoTaps ran dry in Rio Verde on New Year’s Day. Water had to be trucked in for household use in the affluent suburb outside Scottsdale, Arizona. The approximately 1,000 residents of the large, suburban stucco homes of Rio Verde were forced to take shorter showers and eat from paper plates.