March is a notoriously fickle month for California precipitation, but the storm door remains open for the Golden State, where precipitation has been plentiful for a second straight year. The month began with a severe blizzard, and it looks like it will close with a solid dose of Sierra snow — and a potentially significant rainstorm in Southern California.
California’s snowpack is above average this winter following a series of storms that replenished one of the state’s most crucial water supplies, but still far behind where it stood during last year’s especially wet winter.
A blizzard that pummeled California over the weekend has brought good news regarding the state’s drought outlook. The massive storm started late last week and brought more than 100 inches of snow to some high-elevation areas. The blizzard followed a slew of atmospheric rivers that brought a deluge of rain to the state.
Crisp morning temperatures will make way for sunny skies across Southern California this week, but don’t stash those umbrellas and rain boots away quite yet. More wet weather is on the horizon.
The historic and destructive storms that ravaged California this week have significantly boosted the state’s snowpack and water year outlook after a relatively dry start to the season, state water managers say.
Evidence highlighting the effects of climate change – and its increasing impact on our societies – is indisputable. 2023 saw a flurry of extreme weather events across the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 28 weather and climate disasters in the United States alone, topping the previous high of 22 events during 2020.
Southern California is bracing for its biggest storm of the season, which is slated to deliver potentially damaging and life-threatening rain, wind and flooding to the region.
Despite forecasts of heavy rain and possible flooding in the coming days, state water managers are warning that the “snow drought” in California’s Sierra Nevada could remain for the rest of the winter and into the spring.
The water content of California’s mountain snowpack was just over half of the normal average on Tuesday, a modest increase from Jan. 1 but still far below the usual, state officials said.
Southern California may have just experienced a historic amount of rainfall, but more extreme precipitation is headed toward the region. More than a month’s worth of rain fell in a span of three hours in San Diego on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
