Tag Archive for: El Niño

Officials Hope New Flood Strategies Can Help the Sacramento Region Handle an Unpredictable Winter

About seven miles from the Sacramento International Airport, crews are putting the finishing touches on a project meant to provide massive flood relief to a wide swath of the Sacramento region during intense storms.

‘Calm Before the Storm’: California Bracing for Stream of Late December Rains

Increased rainfall, with a growing chance for heavy precipitation over Christmas, is expected across much of California, beginning next week and lasting through the rest of December.

Stormy Pattern Set to Return to California After Dry Start to Rainy Season

It’s been a lackluster start to the rainy season in California, but there are growing signs that the storm door is about to swing wide open.

Lake Mead Water Levels Hit a Rare Milestone

After steadily climbing all year, Lake Mead’s water levels have hit an unexpected milestone.

California Sets Initial Water Allocation Forecast at 10%

The California Department of Water Resources on Friday said its initial State Water Project allocation forecast is 10% of requested supplies for next year — a 5% increase from its December 2022 initial forecast.

San Diego County Could Be Fairly Dry Into Late December. Or Longer. So Where’s the El Niño?

San Diego County has fallen behind in seasonal rainfall. A weak storm could bring a little moisture Wednesday through Friday. But the National Weather Service says the region will then be dry until late next week, and perhaps for much, much longer.

What an El Niño Winter Could Mean for California

Odds are that this winter’s going to be a wet one. The intermittent climate phenomenon known as El Niño, which typically means more rain and snow for California, developed over the summer and is expected to intensify in the next few months. And this year’s El Niño is predicted to be an exceptionally strong one — maybe even ranking in the top five on record, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at U.C.L.A.

First Atmospheric River Storm of the Season Targets California Next Week

A major pattern change is set to deliver California’s first atmospheric river of the season next week. Significant rain and snow is in the forecast for the Golden State, while damp, dreary days are ahead for other parts of the West as signs of El Niño’s influence on the upcoming winter season emerge.

California’s Extreme Weather Whiplash: So Long, Drought. Hello, El Niño

Less than a year after facing historic water shortages, California this week was declared drought-free thanks to a year of epic rains, with an El Niño forecast that could keep wet conditions going into 2024.

California-El Niño-weather-waves-ocean

For California, especially Southern California, El Niño can typically mean larger storms in the winter which can mean more rainfall and larger waves along the coast. Graphic: NOAA

Reservoir Levels Remain Above Historical Average Across California

California’s lakes and reservoirs remain in very good shape as an El Niño winter closes in.

Following the record wet winter, lakes and reservoirs were nearly full to the brim as the melting snowpack made its way into them.