In the heart of California, at the place where two great rivers converge beneath the Tule fog, lies the linchpin of one of the largest water supply systems in the world.
The California Department of Water Resources on Wednesday announced an increase in its projected statewide water allocations for 2024 — following a series of storms that deluged the Golden State over the past two months.
Concerns that California might remain in a “snow drought” this winter have eased after a series of storms this month blanketed the Sierra Nevada with a near-average amount of snow for this time of year.
After a dry start to winter, California’s rainy season is finally well under way. December downpours sent water racing through streets in coastal Ventura County and the city of Santa Barbara. Flash floods hit San Diego in late January, and back-to-back atmospheric river-fueled storms arrived earlier this month, causing wind damage in Northern California and hundreds of mudslides in Los Angeles.
When it comes to rainfall, California has already had an active start to the year. Since the water year began on Oct. 1, San Diego International Airport has received 8.82 inches of rain. That’s compared to the annual average of 9.79 inches.
Two “Pineapple Express” atmospheric river storms hit California within a week, delivering significant precipitation across the West Coast. New satellite photos show the impact these storms had on California’s flagging snowpack.
Crisp morning temperatures will make way for sunny skies across Southern California this week, but don’t stash those umbrellas and rain boots away quite yet. More wet weather is on the horizon.
The historic and destructive storms that ravaged California this week have significantly boosted the state’s snowpack and water year outlook after a relatively dry start to the season, state water managers say.
Sunday’s powerful storm brought a big boost to the Sierra snowpack. Here’s a look at some weekend totals and an update to the snowpack water content. On Monday morning, ski resorts in the Tahoe Basin and along the Sierra Crest were reporting two to four feet of snow since Saturday morning.
Northern California water managers are preparing for a stretch of wet weather by releasing water from several major reservoirs this week. At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the California Department of Water Resources began releasing water down the main spillway at Oroville Dam. Initial releases were at 6,000 cubic feet per second.
