Latest Data Indicates High Amount of Relief from Drought in California

Posted: January 20, 2023 5:17 pm

Californians may have been begging for relief from the persistent moisture over the last few weeks, however, there is no doubt that the onslaught of rain and snow has been good news for the drought. The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor was released on Thursday, demonstrating a great improvement for the Golden State thanks to the active storm pattern that gripped the region to start the year.

What the Data Says About the Status of the Drought

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor weekly report, the designation of extreme drought has been erased completely in California. In addition, the portions of the state that had been under severe drought since the middle of October has gone from 92% to 43%.

The decrease in the drought levels is being credited to an extremely active storm pattern that created a number of rain and snow makers starting at the end of December and continuing through the second week of January. Many of the state’s most important water reservoirs have been filled once again as a result of the persistent moisture. This includes Lake Oroville and Folsom Lake.

In addition to filling the reservoirs heading into the spring the summer season, the moisture also replenished the snowpack levels in the mountains, particularly across the Sierra Nevada and Donner Pass. This snowpack is what creates the runoff for the streams and lakes as the temperature begins to warm. All in all, experts are estimating that about 24 trillion gallons of water fell on the state over the last few weeks.

Importance of Moisture During the Winter

The timing of the moisture could not have been better. The precipitation that falls during the winter is a key indicator of what the spring and summer will look like for the state. Because the spring and summer months are typically dry, it is important that the region stockpiles water during the winter.

Climatologists are warning that the drought has not been completely erased in California. Over 99% of the state is still under the designation of abnormally dry conditions with 92% falling under the categorization of being in a moderate drought or worse.

These designations point to the importance of receiving moisture over a long period of time rather than mass amounts of precipitation over a timeframe of just a few weeks. Experts caution that you cannot expect to erase a multiyear drought with a few moisture-laden storms.

The good news is that the drought is expected to improve further over the next few weeks. Central and Northern California will see the greatest degree of improvement thanks to consistent runoff. Conversely, the drought will see a lesser degree of improvement in the southern portion of the state. A storm track that is predicted to shift to the north will bring more of the moisture to the northern half of California and up through the Pacific Northwest, leaving the southern tier out of luck for drought relief.

Even if the state does not experience the same atmospheric rivers that acted as a fire hose of moisture to start the year, the snowpack left behind will continue to melt and fill the area reservoirs. Additionally, the cumulative effect of the greater amounts of vegetation springing up from the extra precipitation will add moisture back to the ground for a long time period.

While this is all great news for the drought, the state will also be put under a higher risk of river flooding once the snow begins melting with greater velocity as the mercury inches up. California’s Central Valley will be under the greatest threat of flooding from the water coming down from the west-facing slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

Southern California is also expected to experience more drying out in the coming days as Santa Ana winds start to whip up thanks to the warm offshore breezes in the forecast.

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