How much precipitation do we still need in California to lift us out of drought status?

Question

I don't know how much we've received because I cannot find the number...despite looking. I asked the 'question' because after the current storms they were discussing this on the news but provided no concrete numbers...so I thought a weather person may know. Gees

Answer 1

Currently, California is still not considered to be in a "drought" status. But this status was not decided by any meteorologist or climotologist. The final word will come from the state government. The reason is complex and yes, its all has all to do with politics. That said, we can say that California is in a drier than normal period at this time.

The amount of precipitation the state will need will really depend on location, type, and duration rate of precipitation. This is important because CA needs rain to fall into its river basins that drains into lakes...both natural and man made. The water in these lakes will provide controlled water releases to farmers and other water users a good steady supply for the short term period as well as the remainder of the spring growing season.

For the long hot and dry summer and fall period, the state also needs a good snow pack in the high moutains. As this snow pack shrinks over the summer, water will drain down into the foothills and valley to keep the supply of water available until the first major storm to start of the next rainy season. So the amount of water that falls in a spot is not as important as where it falls and the type of precipitation that falls.

Also, steady precipitation is what the state wants rather than one short period of heavy rain with high snow levels. I'll explain why later.

So back to your question. What we really need to know is how much rain is needed in certain areas that will bring the water levels on our lakes up to normal levels and how much snow is needed in the high mountains of CA. Those questions will be tackled not by a weather forecasters, but mainly by climotologists, geologists, hydrologists, and limnologists. I don't have the answers now, but in early January, the California State Department of Water Resources will send their snow survey team out for measurements of the snow pack. After that, we should get a general idea as to what we really need in a way of precipitation. So stay tuned.

Now if you want to read more, I will cover why too much precipitation in a short amount of time can be more harmful than helpful for California. Clue: Just think back to the California floods on 1997.

The amount of precipitation is not the only factor, but the rate and type of precipitation are much more important. What we need are periods of steady precipitation in both rain and mountain snow.

However, what we don't want is the "pineapple express" type of storm systerm like what we got back in 1997 where mother nature turned on the warm hose and nearly washed away many communities with flooding and flash flooding. These storms came in a series of very warm and moist storm systems. With this type of system, we get a lot of rain in about one to two weeks that caused major flooding problems during that period of time. However because this system were feed by a belt of warm tropical moisture that originated from an area near Hawaii, the snow levels were well above the tall Sierra Nevada mountain range. Liquid precipitation drained quickly down to the the foothills and valley. Many of the dams where opened wide to let the water out in order to prevent flooding and also to prevent the possibility of dam failure as water started to pile up behind the dams. So even though we had a period of heavy rain. This rain didn't help the state much since this warm precipitation did little to increase the mountain snow pack which is what the state depends on during the long warm and dry season. Nor did it help us in any significant way in the short term. Instead, the warm and heavy rain resulted in less water stored than what they had hoped for as the dam operators had to let the most of the water go behind the dams. This was done in order to save the dams. The state had major floods that year, yet most of the state ended up with below normal rainfall. The state also ended up with less water than what we liked stored up for the dry season. So the amount of rain sometimes can be more harmful if it falls too much in a short period of time.

Answer 2

You do recognize Australia is the comparable length because of the fact the contiguous states of the U. S., top? the common varieties we've had in maximum areas are long sessions of decreased rainfall accompanied by potential of flooding over 7-10 365 days sessions. Our climate cycles are so diverse to the northern hemisphere varieties some have pronounced we brush aside the belief of four seasons in a single 365 days and concentration greater on the 7 365 days ENSO version and is the reason greater of the version. The climate predictions are for greater severe droughts contained in the southeast (the place i grow to be residing till final week) and greater rain contained in the northwest. The drought broke contained in the southeast approximately 2 years in the past, and we've had periodic floods considering that then. A type opposing the predictions for the southeast would be if the droughts do no longer grow to be greater severe over the arriving an prolonged time and the floods worsen or greater popular. the reason we've floods after drought is as a results of the impacts on soils long sessions without water has. extensive-unfold rainfall seeps into bedrock and strikes slowly by way of aquifers yet whilst soils are dry they grow to be compacted and this reduces the quantity of water they'd soak up. it is worsened by potential of issues like deforestation and grazing. once you ultimately get substantial rain, it runs around the real of the soil fairly than being soaked into it like it does whilst rain is extensive-unfold. this is why you get floods after drought. If the drought is worse, then right here floods are additionally in all probability to be worse. So definite, we anticipate to have droughts and floods as familiar. We additionally anticipate the severity of those to alter. come decrease back to us in 30 years time as quickly as we could have had some cycles which will point out what the trend is. till then, don't get excited.

Answer 3

Find out what your normal precipitation is, the subtract that from what you currently have the total is how much you need.