Tag Archive for: Weather

La Niña: Is California Heading Into Another Drought?

/in , /by /The Mercury News (Bay Area)by Paul Rogers

Federal scientists say that La Niña — the phenomenon where Pacific Ocean waters off South America are cooler than normal — is underway this winter.

A commonly held assumption among many Californians is that La Niña means a dry winter is coming, and in years when the opposite occurs, El Niño, a wet winter is considered more likely.

So brown lawns and water rationing are just around the corner, right?

Not necessarily. Looking at historical records, there isn’t a clear pattern. In the Bay Area, La Niña years have been drier than normal only about half the time.

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With Dry La Niña Conditions, Persistent Western Drought Looms Large in Winter Outlook

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

The forecast looks warm and continued dry this winter in California and the Southwest, which raises the disturbing prospect of a perpetual fire season. More than 45% of the continental U.S. is experiencing drought right now, especially in the West.

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La Niña May Signal Scant Relief from California’s Seemingly Endless Loop of Hot, Dry Weather

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

After a brief interlude of mild temperatures Saturday, a warm-up is forecast to begin Sunday as upper-level high pressure builds into California, the National Weather Service said. High temperatures will climb by several degrees on Sunday.

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Droughts That Start Over the Ocean? They’re Often Worse Than Those That Form Over Land

/in , , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Bob Berwyn

Droughts usually evoke visions of cracked earth, withered crops, dried-up rivers and dust storms. But droughts can also form over oceans, and when they then move ashore they are often more intense and longer-lasting than purely land-born dry spells.

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Much of U.S. Southwest Left Parched After Monsoon Season

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Felicia Fonseca

Cities across the U.S. Southwest recorded their driest monsoon season on record this year, some with only a trace or no rain.

The seasonal weather pattern that runs from mid-June and ended Wednesday brings high hopes for rain and cloud coverage to cool down places like Las Vegas and Phoenix. But like last year, it largely was a dud, leaving the region parched.

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AccuWeather’s US Winter Forecast Calls for a Two-Faced Season for Millions

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Brian Lada

As Americans hunker down to weather the pandemic this winter at home, nearly every facet of life will remain upended to safeguard against the coronavirus. Millions are working from home and learning remotely and even holiday gatherings will look a lot different this year. Staying closer to home may mean fewer weather worries for commutes and disruptions to daily activities, but AccuWeather has you covered on what you can expect weather-wise as we navigate uncertain times.

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Does La Niña Mean a Drier, Shorter Winter for Southern California?

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby John Carroll

La Niña is back.

It’s been a couple of years since satellites and buoys detected the mass of cold water forming along the equator. National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy said when you average out the effect of La Niñas over the last few decades, they tend to indicate we’re in for less precipitation than what we’d get in an average winter.

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Fall in Southern California Begins the Race Between Rains and Santa Ana Winds

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

The autumn equinox was at 6:30 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, meaning there are nearly equal periods of daylight and darkness. From now until the winter solstice in December, days will gradually get shorter and nights will get longer in the Northern Hemisphere.

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OpenET: Transforming Water Management in the U.S. West With NASA Data

/in , , /by /SciTechDailyby Maddie Ecker

Building upon more than two decades of research, a new web-based platform called OpenET will soon be putting NASA data in the hands of farmers, water managers and conservation groups to accelerate improvements and innovations in water management. OpenET uses publicly available data and open source models to provide satellite-based information on evapotranspiration (the “ET” in OpenET) in areas as small as a quarter of an acre and at daily, monthly and yearly intervals.

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Despite Dry Monsoon Season, Reservoirs Still Full

/in , , /by /ABC 15 Arizonaby Jamie Warren

This summer, the Valley saw only two days of rain — the lowest number of days ever on record.

As we head into fall, ABC15 spoke with Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources Tom Buschatzke about what impact the dry monsoon will have on the state’s reservoirs.

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