Recent storm activity throughout the state has changed drought classifications, but forecasters say that there’s a long way to go before we can declare an official end to the four-year dry spell.
The U.S. Drought Monitor released findings yesterday indicating that the rains have brought about a slight reduction in extreme drought in parts of Northern California, but there were no changes locally. In fact, the drought’s intensity level shows California remains 97 percent in moderate, 92 percent in severe, 69 percent in extreme, and about 45 percent in exceptional drought. Storms occurring last month and into December have brought snow to the Sierra Nevada and nearby San Bernardino mountains which have allowed many ski resorts to open a little earlier than normal.
The report stated that “California’s multi-year drought means recovery will likely happen very slowly, and the only improvement made this week was the removal of the D3 (exceptional drought category) in coastal northwestern California.” The report further illustrated that the early snowfall may represent a “rapid start” to the wet/snowy season for California, Nevada and other parts of the western United States.
The release yesterday stated, however, that the early precipitation may temper the impact the series of storms have had on the state’s below-average water supply. Officials from the State Water Resources Board caution residents that just because more precipitation has been witnessed over the last month does not mean that the drought is over, nor should cities and counties suspend water-reduction measures.
El Nino is not exactly the opposite of a drought, because the storms could commence, level off and then end without putting a serious dent in the pattern of dry weather. Michelle Mead, a warning coordination meteorologist with the Sacramento National Weather Service, said this week that the recent weather patterns are a “welcome change from more recent fall seasons” and is a “typical fall pattern” for Northern California.
“El Nino is still on track to rank among the top three strongest episodes going back to 1950,” Mead said. She added that the Pacific Ocean warming condition is expected to “kick in after the New Year” but cautioned that even though there will be a significant increase in precipitation, California’s water supply will need much more volume to fill major reservoirs, many of which were at record lows this week.
The biggest change in drought conditions was in the Pacific Northwest which has witnessed major flooding, mudslides and power outages over the past week in Oregon and Washington.
