Tag Archive for: Weather

In Rapidly Warming Colorado River Basin, The Negotiating Table Is Being Set

/in , , /by /KUNCby Luke Runyon

Anyone who has hosted a good dinner party knows that the guest list, table setting and topic of conversation play a big role in determining whether the night is a hit or the guests leave angry and unsatisfied.

That concept is about to get a true test on the Colorado River, where chairs are being pulled up to a negotiating table to start a new round of talks that could define how the river system adapts to a changing climate for the next generation.

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Rainy Season Peters Out in Another Moisture-Starved Year for S.F.

/in , , /by /The San Francisco Chronicleby Lauren Hernández
A too-dry February left San Francisco with only 38% of normal rainfall for the month, and forecasters say residents should get used to it: With the wet season ending, it’s almost impossible to see the water year ending with anything close to a normal soaking.

San Francisco’s rain total for February — typically the heart of the rainy season along with December and January — was just 1.71 inches, compared to the 4.46 inches that’s considered normal, National Weather Service Bay Area officials said. A year ago it was even worse: February 2020 brought no rain to San Francisco.

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San Diego Will Have to Hope for a ‘March Miracle’ to Make Up for Lack of Rain

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

It’s time to hope for a “March miracle.” We badly need rain and won’t get much — if any — over the next week.

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California Drought, Dry Conditions Causing Concern for Farms and Agriculture

/in , , /by /ABC10
Much of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions are seeing abnormally dry or drought-like weather so far in winter 2021.
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Current Steering Weather Hits Slowest Speed in 1,000 Years

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Chelsea Harvey

An enormous ocean current that flows between continents in a worldwide circuit that can take centuries to complete is slowing down, scientists say. And climate change may be partly to blame.

New research finds that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC — a major ocean system that ferries water and heat between the equator and the poles — is at its weakest point in more than a thousand years.

Some Irrigators on West Side of Stanislaus County can Expect Only 5% of Federal Water

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby John Holland

West Side farmers using the federal Central Valley Project can expect 5% to 75% of their contracted supply this year.

Two straight dry winters brought that announcement Tuesday from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It involves water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to as far south as Kern County.

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Red Alert Sounding on California Drought, as Valley Gets Grim News About Water Supply

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow

A government agency that controls much of California’s water supply released its initial allocation for 2021, and the numbers reinforced fears that the state is falling into another drought.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said Tuesday that most of the water agencies that rely on the Central Valley Project will get just 5% of their contract supply, a dismally low number. Although the figure could grow if California gets more rain and snow, the allocation comes amid fresh weather forecasts suggesting the dry winter is continuing.

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Sierra Snowpack Has Major Drop Over the Past Decade

/in , , /by /NBC Bay Areaby Jeff Ranieri

Sierra snowpack is so vital to California as it provides one third of the state’s water supply and it seems more and more lately we are seeing this dwindle. You can see from 2002 to 2011 60% of the time the Sierra snowpack was 100% or better, a pretty good trend.

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Feds Start 2021 with Light Water Supply for Valley Farmers

/in , , /by /San Joaquin Valley Sunby Alex Tavlian

Valley farmers had low expectations heading into the spring. Federal water authorities likely met them, to say the least.

Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced its first water allocations for farmers and water users along the Central Valley Project.

Light snowpack is, once again, the culprit, Federal officials said.

“Although we had a couple of precipitation-packed storms in January and early February, we are still well below normal for precipitation and snowfall this year,” said Bureau region director Ernest Conant. “We will monitor the hydrology as the water year progresses and continue to look for opportunities for operational flexibility.”

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California’s Wet Season Hasn’t Brought Much Drought Relief and the Outlook Isn’t Promising

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Linda Lam

California’s wet season has not brought much relief so far and the outlook is not promising.

The water year, which runs from October through April, started off slowly. October was the second driest on record for California. Later, strong systems – including an atmospheric river in late January that caused flooding, debris flows and feet of snow in the Sierra – brought needed moisture to the Golden State.

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