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‘The Pie Keeps Shrinking’: Lake Mead’s Low Level Will Trigger Water Cutbacks for Arizona, Nevada

/in , , /by /Arizona Republicby Ian James

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again receive less water from the Colorado River next year under a set of agreements intended to help boost the level of Lake Mead, which now stands at just 40% of its full capacity.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation released projections on Friday showing that Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, will be at levels next year that continue to trigger moderate cutbacks in the two U.S. states and Mexico.

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Meteorologists Forecast Drought-Producing La Niña Weather Pattern this Winter

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Federal weather forecasters on Thursday predicted the development of drought-producing La Niña pattern that could to last through the winter.

There is a 60% chance that La Niña will develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall, with a 55% chance the pattern will continue through the winter of 2020-21, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in its monthly forecast.

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This Giant Climate Hot Spot is Robbing the West of its Water

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Juliet Eilperin

On New Year’s Day in 2018, Paul Kehmeier and his father drove up Grand Mesa until they got to the county line, 10,000 feet above sea level. Instead of the three to five feet of snow that should have been on the ground, there wasn’t enough of a dusting to even cover the grass.

The men marveled at the sight, and Kehmeier snapped a photo of his dad, “standing on the bare pavement, next to bare ground.”

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New Study says Forecasters are Overestimating Future Demand for Water

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Alison St. John

Californians have grown used to the idea that water is a precious commodity, one that we risk running out of without conservation.

A new report by the Pacific Institute suggests Californians have learned to conserve so well that water forecasters need to rethink their approach to estimating future water demand.

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A Warming California Sets the Stage for Future Floods – UCLA Study Finds that Continued Climate Change Will Deliver a Dangerous One-Two Punch for State’s Water Managers

/in , , /by /Sierra Sun Timesby Sonia Aronson

By the 2070s, global warming will increase extreme rainfall and reduce snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, delivering a double whammy that will likely overwhelm California’s reservoirs and heighten the risk of flooding in much of the state, according to a new study by UCLA climate scientists.

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Heat Wave Begins to Grip San Diego County, Expected to Last Through the Weekend

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby City News Service

Temperatures will near triple digits Wednesday in the San Diego County mountains and foothills, as a heat wave that will last through the weekend begins to grip the region.

A ridge of high pressure will continue building over the southwestern United States through Monday, ushering in the scorching heat, according to the National Weather Service.

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Poll: Californians Support State Policies to Tackle Climate Change

/in , /by /The Mercury News (Bay Area)by Emily Deruy

Californians across the state are concerned about climate change and support plans to reduce harmful emissions and focus on renewable sources of energy. But there are stark differences when it comes to which residents of the Golden State see pollution as a serious threat to their family’s health.

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Officials Warn Colorado River Levels Could Fluctuate to Meet Summer Energy Needs

/in , , /by /KNAU Arizona Public Radioby Ryan Heinsius

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recommends river runners secure their vessels to withstand changing levels and campers should set up tents in areas out of reach of the river. Officials plan to release higher-than-normal amounts of water from Glen Canyon Dam, possibly without notice, which will cause rapid changes to the Colorado River’s flow.

The Western Area Power Administration says there’s a possibility that Glen Canyon Dam will be needed to augment regional power supplies in the event of a system emergency. Releases could last a couple hours or even longer and the fluctuations will be more noticeable on weekends.

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Farmers Doing More With Less Need Help From Above

/in , , /by /Bakersfield.comby Dianne Hardisty

Joel Ackerknecht manages about 3,500 acres of land north and west of Bakersfield and south of Arvin for DM Camp and Sons, a more than 80-year-old Kern County farming operation that grows a variety of specialty crops, including wine grapes, nuts and sweet potatoes.

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Extreme Atmospheric Rivers: What will California’s Strongest Storms Look Like in a Warming Climate?

/in , , /by /WeatherWestby Daniel Swain

Atmospheric rivers (ARs)—long, sinuous corridors of water vapor in motion in the lower half of Earth’s atmosphere—are a key aspect of California’s cool-season climate. ARs are in many cases pretty unremarkable when they’re out over the open ocean, visible on satellite as a narrow ribbon of cloudiness and (usually) light precipitation. But when these moisture plumes attach themselves to wintertime low pressure systems and make landfall along the California coast, the consequences can be dramatic—prolonged heavy rain and mountain snow often result, along with sometimes powerful winds.

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