oldenGoldenDecoy's picture

    California: Rain Was Great But More Snow Pack is Where It's At


    Pasadena Star-News - 12/21/14

    California needs 11 trillion gallons
    of rain to end drought, JPL says

    --snippet--

    “It’s important for all of us to keep in mind that while it’s great that it’s been raining — we’re really grateful to it of course — but the drought is in no way over, and the deficit that we have to fill is huge,” Famiglietti said. “We have to keep up with our conservation even if it is the rainy season.”

    The new data originated from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites. GRACE data showed that since 2011, the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins dropped in volume by four trillion gallons of water each year. That’s more “liquid gold” than California’s 38 million residents use each year for domestic and municipal purposes. And this deficit has increased over time, according to data collected since the launch of GRACE 12 years ago.

    GRACE’s observations have given scientists a new ability to locate key features of droughts, including when they begin and end and their exact magnitude at a specific time, Famiglietti said.

    “Now we have the technology to give us that number — quantify over a large region like a large river basin,” he said. “It can become a target for water managers. They can think about how much conservation to ask people to do, whether they need to seek outside sources of water, do more sewage recycling — planning for the future.”

    Additionally, early 2014 data from NASA’s Airborne Snow Observatory show snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada range was half of previous predictions, said Tom Painter, the group’s principal investigator at JPL.

    “The 2014 snowpack was one of the three lowest on record and the worst since 1977, when California’s population was half what it is now,” Painter said in a statement.

    It will take about 75 inches of precipitation or about three years of above-average rainfall and snowfall to make up the 11 trillion gallons of water deficit, Famiglietti said.

     

    The following graphics may help to understand where we are currently.


    Direct Link

     


    Direct Link


    ~OGD~

    Comments

    It is a weak El Nino.  There was a super El Nino that built up last spring but conditions just spread it's heat (Kelvin Wave) over the Pacific and it didn't break the stationary high pressure ridge.  At least this second weaker one is bringing in some rain.  A pineapple express is dumping rain in Oregon right now.  

    http://cci-reanalyzer.org/

    You can see the country's current conditions and click on forecast for 2 days and 7 days. Then hit the play button on the top right.  You will see where the rain and snow is forecast for the next few days. 

    Also from the menu on the home page select Daily Reanalyzer maps. On that page from it's menu select Jet Stream.  You will be able to see the jet stream and it is a good place to check for the polar vortex as it moves south. 

    You can see the current winds with lows and highs on Earth Null School. It shows how the current 2 high pressures systems off of Cali. and Canada is pulling in the pineapple clipper. 

    http://earth.nullschool.net/

    Earth Null School you can move the globe around by left clicking it and moving the cursor. You can also get a closer look.  I just spread 2 fingers apart on the cursor pad on my lap top and it zooms in for more detail. .

    The animation gives a little more detail about what NOAA and  what the local weather reports. 

    California's drought is not going away anytime soon that is for sure. 


    It looks like you got some snow to start out 2015.  I hope this will continue this winter. 


    Latest Comments