California Superbloom is Product of Rainy and Snowy Winter

Posted: April 21, 2023 12:00 pm

One of the positive byproducts of the unseasonably wet and snowy winter that California experienced is the emergence of what is known as a superbloom. This eye-popping emergency of color follows what was a dreary winter for the Golden State.

What is a Superbloom?

A superbloom is defined as the rare sprouting of seeds that had gone dormant during several years of dry conditions. The 2023 superbloom is Mother Nature putting on a show, thrilling residents and visitors with a dazzling array of vibrant colors across the state.

For example, the California poppy, the official state flower,  has been showing off its beauty throughout the region in recent weeks.

It has been four years since California has been treated to a superbloom of colorful wildflowers. The massive amount of rain and snow that fell across the state over the winter did more than just erase much of the drought and fill the region’s crucial water reservoirs. The moisture also helped to create a stunning superbloom.

The colors are so bright that they can be seen in satellite pictures taken from space. For instance, photos recently released by NASA show the Carrizo Plain National Monument in full bloom.

While last year’s images of the same spot were covered in shades of brown, this year’s photo from April 6 was flush with brilliant shades of dark purple.

What Caused the Superbloom

This year’s superbloom is not entirely unexpected. The California Department of Parks and Recreation said over the winter that it was expecting a better than average wildflower bloom this spring on the heels of the wet winter.

In addition to seeing a wet winter, a superbloom is more likely to happen when the area experiences warm weather in the early spring paired with a low number of high wind events.

There is no doubt that California saw one of its wettest winters on record. According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the state was hit by 31 atmospheric rivers during the 2022-2023 water year.

This year’s superbloom is expected to linger well into May, giving people plenty of time to check out Mother Nature in all of her glory. You will not want to miss this rare occurrence.

According to the University of California, there have only been 10 superblooms across Southern California in the last 40 years. Not surprisingly, nine of these massive blooms happened on the heels of a wetter than normal winter season.

How Tourists Damage Superbloom

The last major superbloom happened in the spring of 2019. Tourists flooded the state to catch a glimpse of the flowering beauty. The influx of tourists armed with cameras overwhelmed traffic patterns, including across some portions of Interstate 15.

Leaning on the lessons learned from 2019, local law enforcement officials have been issuing parking violations to those not complying with posted traffic rules.

In addition, local officials are being increasingly vigilant about the threat that these visitors will bring to some of the state’s most pristine and protected wildlife areas.

In order to help facilitate the flow of visitors into the state to see the superbloom, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has provided a list of all locations where visitors can safely see the flowers without damaging the natural habitat.

State officials are also asking visitors to remain on the marked trails and to not pick the flowers. Using the slogan, “do not doom the bloom,” officials are hoping to preserve the beauty and viability of this natural showcase so that it can be enjoyed by everyone.

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