Despite the recent moisture, and in some cases some record rainfall, the severe drought in California continues. For example, in Redding, California, located in the northern part of the state, they received a record 1.71 inches of rain on Sunday, pushing their seasonal total since July 1 to nearly 8 inches. That is still over 13.55 inches below normal to date.
In Sacramento, about .85 inches of rain fell on February 9 bringing its seasonal total to just under 5 inches. The normal to date is about 11.50 inches. In Los Angeles, only 1.27 inches of rain has fallen since last July, compared to a normal of 7.70 inches. Less than a quarter of an inch has fallen at LAX since January 1.
Unless there is a huge change in the weather pattern and brings in copious amounts of moisture between now and the end of March, the fire season in California may be one of the worst in the state’s history. Long-range computer models keep the high locked in over Southern California and the Desert Southwest for the foreseeable future. However, Northern California will see some additional moisture over the next few weeks.
A recent article written in the Washington Post points out that 2014 is “going to be bad.” It’s estimated that many family farms in California’s San Joaquin Valley will be going bankrupt as crucial water supplies will be “significantly reduced” due to the severe drought conditions. Millions of dollars of produce will be lost. Much of the country’s fruits and vegetables are grown in California’s Central Valley which will undoubtedly lead to much higher prices in the grocery stores and the commodity markets as well.
California is now in its third straight year of drought. This particular dry spell is now compared to the record-setting and disastrous drought seasons of 1976 and 1977. Drought emergencies have been declared by Governor Jerry Brown and residents are asked to cut their water use by 20 percent.
The Golden State is not the only one experiencing dry conditions. Based on the Drought Index, there are 15 states in the western U.S. that are experiencing some kind of dryness or drought from a huge high pressure ridge that situated over the western U.S. since the fall season.
The recent weekend storm did drop up to three feet of much-needed snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s still too early to tell if the storm door into California will remain open, but time is running out as their wet season typically ends in April. It’s quite possible, perhaps a 70 percent chance or higher, that this major western drought will push into the Corn Belt states later this spring and summer. Stay tuned.
