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Fires, Floods and More: A View of California From Space In 2019

/in , /by /CALmatters

The year began amid the ashes of the deadliest wildfire in California history. Then came torrential rains, the superbloom, a marine heat wave, and fires again.

They are events that foreshadow a future pattern of more extreme wildfires and rainstorms as climate change drives the Earth’s temperatures higher. The 2019 events prompted now familiar responses from politicians confronted with catastrophe across the state: disaster relief money, funding for scientific studies, and recriminations against bankrupt utility Pacific Gas and Electric.

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San Diego International Airport Collects Over Two Million Gallons of Stormwater

/in , , /by /KUSI News San Diegoby News Staff

In its first year of operation, an innovative stormwater capture and re-use system at San Diego International Airport has collected more than two million gallons.

The airport collects rain that falls on the roof of the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza, diverting it from becoming runoff that can pollute San Diego Bay. This water is fed into the airport’s central plant, where it is used in place of potable water to help heat and cool the terminals.

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Here’s How Much Rain Fell in 50 San Diego Cities and Towns During the Two-Day Storm

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

Here’s how much rain fell on Monday and early Tuesday at more than 50 locations across San Diego County. A new round of rain will move ashore on Christmas night and will last into Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

San Onofre: 1.85″
Brown Field: 1.74″
Otay Mountain: 1.70″
Lake Cuyamaca: 1.66″
Kearny Mesa: 1.38″
Point Loma: 1.36″

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Second Storm Expected To Bring More Rain To San Diego Christmas Eve

/in , /by /KPBS Radio San Diegoby City News Service

A wet Christmas Eve is in store for parts of San Diego County.

Scattered showers will continue Tuesday everywhere except the deserts and the showers are expected to linger through Christmas night, according to the National Weather Service.

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Sierra Snowpack Off to Healthiest Start Since 2010, Water Officials Say

/in , , /by /KGO TV San Francisco by News Staff

The Sierra snowpack is off to its best start in years, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Thanks to all the recent storms, it’s at 109 percent of where it should be for this time of year. Last year, it was at 82 percent of average.

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Atmospheric River, Tropical Downpours and Unseasonably Warm Weather to Kick Off Holiday Week

/in , /by /CBS Newsby Jeff Berardelli

Wild weather will bear down on the holiday season with a soaking atmospheric river for the West, drenching tropical downpours for the South and soaring temperatures in the East. For most, dreams of a white Christmas will remain just that.

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Pineapple Express Storm Will Bring Flooding And Snow To The West

/in , /by /San Jose Mercury Newsby Allison Chinchar

An atmospheric river is moving to the West Coast, likely to bring menacing flooding, heavy mountain snow, and damaging winds.

Atmospheric rivers are narrow corridors of the upper atmosphere that transport intense moisture from a large body of water onto land.

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Pattern Change to Bring Drier Trend to Most of California Through Mid-December

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Courtney Spamer

Several storms have barreled across much of California since before Thanksgiving. But now, a shift in the weather pattern looks to bring calmer weather.

Storm after storm dove across the state over the past several weeks, delivering rain, wind and mountain snow.

The jet stream, which helps to influence the track storm systems take, was a big part of the reason for the recent storminess.

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‘Bomb Cyclone’ Winter Storm Will Hit U.S. As Thanksgiving Nears, Forecasters Warn

/in , /by /NPR by Bill Chappell

Hurricane-force winds, blizzard conditions, heavy snowfall — and a “bomb cyclone” on the West Coast: Those are the dire predictions of weather forecasters, who are warning Thanksgiving travelers to be cautious and prepare for delays as two powerful back-to-back storms hit the western and central U.S. this week.

The National Weather Service’s U.S. forecast map is draped in alarming shades of pink, purple and red, reflecting winter storm warnings that are in effect from California to Michigan.

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Is it Drought Yet? Dry October-November 2019

/in , , /by /California WaterBlog (UC Davis Water Sciences)by Jay Lund

So far, October and November 2019 has been the driest (or almost the driest) beginning of any recorded water year with almost zero precipitation. (The 2020 water year began October 1, 2019 – so you might have missed a New Year’s party already.)

Should we worry about a drought yet?

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