Will the Storm Move the Drought Needle?
Bay Area water agencies, starved for snow and rain, are encouraged by this week’s storm system.
But managers say it’s too early to say if it will have a lasting impact.
Posts
Record Low Lake Powell and Bad 2021 Drought Forecast Sets Stage For Water Cuts
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Colorado Sunby Jason BlevinsThe dry 2020 and the lack of snow this season has water managers in seven states preparing for the first time for cutbacks outlined in drought contingency plans drafted two years ago. A sobering forecast released this week by the Bureau of Reclamation shows the federally owned Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the nation’s two largest reservoirs and critical storage for Colorado River water and its 40 million users — dipping near-record-low levels.
Opinion: Water Partnerships Between Cities and Farms Would Help Prepare for a Changing Climate
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CalMattersby Alvar Escriva-BouSan Joaquin Valley farms and Southern California cities are facing different but equally daunting water challenges. For Valley farmers, the requirement to achieve groundwater sustainability in coming years has heightened interest in expanding water supplies to reduce the need to fallow irrigated farmland. For Southern California, falling demands since the early 2000s have reduced water stress during normal and wet years, but a warming climate makes future droughts a major concern.
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency Prepared for Another Drought Year
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Record Gazetteby Rachael GarciaWith the dry start to the winter rainy season, the probability of the Pass area entering a multi-year drought is increasing. But that isn’t such a bad thing here due to the fires scorching vegetation, creating instability if it rains and possible flooding said San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency General Manager Lance Eckhart.
Drought Conditions Could Stretch to Spring, Set Stage for Another Rough Fire Season
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KQED by Craig MillerThe latest outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that California’s persistent drought-like conditions could last through the winter and into spring, possibly fueling another grueling fire season in 2021.
Currently, three-quarters of California is experiencing at least moderate drought conditions.
“Keep in mind, we’re coming off the driest May-through-October period, statewide at least, across California, Arizona and New Mexico,” said Mark Svoboda of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska.
Forecasting three to four months out is a dodgy proposition for scientists, but NOAA’s modeling shows the likelihood of relatively dry weather through February.
Is California Heading for a Multi-Year Drought?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /California WaterBlog (UC Davis)by Jay LundYes, California will have another multi-year drought. California has immense hydrologic variability, with more droughts and floods per average year than any other part of the country. California’s water users, managers, and regulators should always be prepared for droughts (and floods). Eventually, California will have a multi-year drought worse than any we have ever seen.
California’s Miserable Year Ending in Drought, Fire and Lockdowns
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Greenby David R Baker and Mark ChediakMost Californians, it’s safe to say, can’t wait for 2020 to end. But the year is getting in a few parting shots on its way out the door.
Is California Heading for a Multi-Year Drought? The Odds Aren’t in Our Favor, Experts Say
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radioby Ezra David RomeroWith no rain in the forecast for the rest of 2020 — thanks to a La Niña weather pattern pushing storms north of the state — the probability of California entering a multi-year drought is increasing.
Rain, Snow in California Forecast — Though Climate Experts Warn of Deepening Drought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderCalifornia is expecting its first rain of the season this weekend, a major shift in weather that’s likely to bring scattered showers and chilly breezes to the Bay Area, and freezing temperatures and snow to the Sierra.
Surprise Finding: Calif. Drought Vulnerability ‘Very Low’
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /E&E Newsby Thomas FrankCalifornia is one of the least vulnerable states to drought even as it faces record wildfires, according to a first-ever state ranking funded by NOAA. The “Drought Vulnerability Index” finds that Oklahoma is the most susceptible to extreme dryness followed by two other states — Montana and Iowa — with a “very high” drought vulnerability.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
