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Another dry year on the Central Coast

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 29, 2009 at 4:21 pm

From the Santa Maria Times:

For the third straight year, Santa Maria has been drier than normal, according to figures from the National Weather Service which closes its books on the rain year June 30. Assuming there is no more rain between today and Tuesday — and forecasters say there won’t be — Santa Maria will have reported 9.12 inches for 2008-2009.

Normal rainfall is 14.01 inches. Rainfall records here are tabulated from July to June since little rain normally falls in summer months.

But hold on your rain hats. Dust off those boots. The government’s Climate Prediction Center has issued its first-ever El Nino watch for the coming months, said Weather Service meteorologist Stuart Seto.

El Ninos occur when ocean temperatures heat up in the tropical Pacific Ocean, causing shifts in weather patterns, and typically bring wetter years to Southern California. The name came after Peruvian fishermen observed warmer waters around Christmas and called the phenomenon El Nino for the Christ child.

When Southern California experienced its last major El Nino in 1997-1998, Santa Maria got a whopping 32.56 inches of rain.

Read more from the Santa Maria Times by clicking here.

June 29, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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