Posts

Explainer: How Has The Recent Wet Weather Affected California’s Drought?

When it comes to rainfall, California has already had an active start to the year. Since the water year began on Oct. 1, San Diego International Airport has received 8.82 inches of rain. That’s compared to the annual average of 9.79 inches.

The Good News, Bad News On California’s Water Supplies, Drought After Record Rainfall

Experts say coming weeks will be critical in seeing if we’ll stay drought-free or experience climate-fueled whiplash back to dry conditions. The record-setting rain that’s pummeled Southern California over the past few days, coupled with solid water storage from last year’s wet winter, has Harvey De La Torre, head of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, offering this reassuring prediction:

More Than 90% of California Out of Historic Drought as Water Year Ends

Less than one week until California’s new water year begins, experts say the state is nearly free of drought — but there is no guarantee that another wet winter is soon to arrive.

The state, according to the Sept. 19 U.S. Drought Monitor, is 93% free of drought, a big improvement since measuring at 72% drought-free three months ago.

With 13 Inches of Rain This Wet Season, San Diego County is Nearly Drought-Free

With an exceptionally rainy season for California, much of the state is free from drought, including most of San Diego County, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The latest drought monitor map released Thursday shows all but 11% of San Diego County remains in some form of drought, which is the same as last week. But that’s significantly down from 3 months ago when all of San Diego County was in some form of drought.

San Diego County’s Drought Level Falls to Lowest Point in 2 Years

The heavy winter rains have lowered San Diego County’s drought ranking to the lowest level in nearly two years, and more precipitation might be coming in mid-March.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now lists the region as being “abnormally dry.” The county had been in a “moderate drought” since May 2021. Prior to that, greater San Diego experienced about 18 months of no drought conditions.

Is California’s Drought Finally Over? Here’s the Impact of the Latest Storms

If there’s concern about California’s wet winter turning dry, consider it shushed.

The heaps of snow over the past week on top of the parade of deluges in early January have been extraordinary and left much of the state with well-above-average precipitation for the season. The winter storms, which account for the bulk of the state’s rain and snow, are forecast to continue into next month, virtually ensuring a good water year for California.

How the Winter Storm Could Impact California Reservoirs

Southern California is bracing for a cold winter storm this weekend that is expected to bring up to 5 feet of snow accumulation in certain areas.

While this forecast might curtail your outdoor weekend plans, it is excellent news for the state’s recovering water reservoirs.

California Has Huge Snowpack, but Dry Trend Raises Worries

The mountain snowpack that supplies a significant amount of California’s water got an incredible boost from recent powerful storms and is outpacing the state’s wettest season on record, state water officials said Wednesday.

But its too soon to know if the winter will be a drought-buster, they said.

San Diego Can Expect More Water After Recent Rains

Recent rains could mean a more flexible water budget for San Diego as state authorities announced increased water deliveries throughout California.

The state will allocate additional water deliveries to some 29 public water agencies, delivering 30 percent of requested water supplies after initially projecting only five percent delivery.

Parts of the West Have Double the Normal Snowpack. Experts Say it’s Too Early to Get Excited

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas across the West, and for the parched mega-drought region, the December snow is a welcome gift. With back-to-back-to-back winter storms across the West, the snowpack is thriving. Parts of the Sierra and the Pacific Northwest are seeing above-average snowpack for this time of year. In Central California, the Sierra stands at 200% of normal for snowpack average to date.