California’s beaches may feel off-limits right now, but the coronavirus has not stopped the sea from rising. With every tide and storm, this slow-moving disaster continues to creep closer to shore — toppling bluffs, eroding our beaches and threatening homes and major infrastructure.
Though the last couple of weekends have seen wet weather, it hasn’t been enough to keep up with the yearly average in time for summer in California. The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is tested regularly by employees of the California Department of Water Resources, has yielded some grim results so far in 2020 in terms of snow-water equivalent.
On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we’re discussing a new study from Columbia University about an emerging climate-driven megadrought in the Western US.
Within the Colorado River basin, management laws dictate how water is allocated to farms, businesses and homes. Those laws, along with changing climate patterns and demand for water, form a complex dynamic that has made it difficult to predict who will be hardest hit by drought.
Cornell engineers have used advanced modeling to simulate more than 1 million potential futures – a technique known as scenario discovery – to assess how stakeholders who rely on the Colorado River might be uniquely affected by changes in climate and demand as a result of management practices and other factors.
As California continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, leaders must ensure fundamental human rights like clean water. It is essential that we do not allow this crisis to tip the scales in favor of polluters and private water corporations.
Gusty winds are expected Tuesday in the San Diego County mountains and deserts, plus light rain could fall tonight in coastal and inland valley areas, according to the National Weather Service.
A weak, low-pressure system moving inland Tuesday will cause temperatures to drop through Wednesday, then the mercury will gradually rise heading into the weekend, forecasters said.
The NWS issued a wind advisory that will be in effect from noon Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday in the mountains and deserts.
Winds out of the west are expected to be between 20-30 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 45 mph near desert slopes and through mountain passes, forecasters said.
There is also a slight chance of light rain showers in coastal areas and the western valleys tonight, according to the NWS. Coastal areas have a 20% chance while the western valleys have a 30% chance.
The hottest temperatures of the week are expected Wednesday throughout San Diego County, but relief will arrive this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
High pressure over Baja California will keep temperatures warm through Friday throughout the county, then temperatures will drop quickly and return to around seasonal average on Sunday, forecasters said.
A heat advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. Friday in the western valleys and an excessive heat watch will also last until 9 p.m. Friday in the deserts.
High temperatures Wednesday are forecast to reach 82 degrees near the coast, 90 inland, 96 in the western valleys, 95 in the mountains and 110 in the deserts.
Temperatures will soar well into the triple digits Tuesday in the San Diego County deserts as sweltering conditions are expected to grip the region until this weekend.
High pressure centered over Baja California will continue to build this week, with temperatures expected to peak on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Desert areas could reach 110 and 107, respectively, on those days.
Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to 3 billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds.
Temperatures could reach triple digits Monday in the San Diego County deserts, and the mercury will be on the rise all week throughout the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Conditions will be relatively mild west of the deserts Monday, but building high pressure will cause temperatures to rise throughout the county until Friday, forecasters said. By midweek, high temperatures could be 15-20 degrees above average in most areas, forecasters said.
The NWS issued a heat advisory that will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 9 p.m. Friday in the western valleys.
An excessive heat watch will also take effect Tuesday morning and last until Friday evening in the county deserts.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
