Northern California gears up for wintry weather; skiers rejoice
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 20, 2008 at 6:58 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
Getting over the river and through the woods to whatever house they might be heading to could be more difficult for drivers this weekend as winter storms pound the Sacramento region.
Further ahead, it’s going to be a stormy, stormy Christmas. National Weather Service officials predict a tropical storm will slam Central California on Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day, bringing as much as 15 inches of rain to coastal areas and 4 inches of rain to the Sacramento Valley.
Today, the end of a cold front is moving through the area. The storm sprinkled little rain on Sacramento but is dumping heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada. Snow elevations are about 2,500 feet and might drop to about 1,500 feet later today, said Eric Kurth, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
The Central Valley is gearing up for the storms while ski resorts are preparing for the holidays, reports the Stockton Record:
The weather services predict hazardous conditions because of high winds and heavy rains in the coming days for most of interior Northern California, including northern San Joaquin Valley, the Delta and the Mother Lode. Such large rainfall predictions often bring with them the threat of urban and small-stream flooding, the National Weather Service reported.
As blustering winds pass through San Joaquin County, falling tree branches have the potential to bring down power lines. PG&E is working to prevent power disturbances and preparing for such scenarios, spokeswoman Nicole Liebelt said, adding that the company’s customer service center will answer calls through the holidays for 24 hours a day.
“We definitely take storm season very seriously,” Liebelt said.
In the Sierra, snowstorms are expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow in elevations over 7,000 feet by Sunday, and with the cold front coming through, snow could fall at as low as 2,000 feet, the National Weather Service reported.
Before a series of storms began last weekend, the Tahoe snowpack stood at only about 2 percent of average for the date.
The snow was welcome news for Tahoe ski resorts, which are gearing up for the busy Christmas holiday period. Forecasts were calling for a chance of snow almost every day through at least Christmas at Tahoe.
Read more from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.
Southern California outlook: Recent rains boost local supplies; more rain expected next week
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 20, 2008 at 6:49 amRecent rains have dumped 4.4 billion gallons into Orange County’s water supply, reports the O. C. Register’s Sciencedude:
The Orange County Water District coralled 4.4 billion gallons of rainwater behind Prado Dam during the storms that pounded Southern California on Monday and Wednesday — a bounty worth about $9 million dollars.
The water will be released down the Santa Ana River and diverted into OCWD’s recharge system.
“If there were no more rain, it would take us approximately 4 to 6 weeks to completely drain this pool into our recharge system,” says OCWD’s Adam Hutchinson.
Read more from the O. C. Register’s Sciencedude by clicking here.
More rain on the way for Southern California, too, as this story in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune tells us:
After two cold storms from the North Pacific slammed the Southland, officials are predicting a third may be on the way.
Experts forecasted a cool, sunny Saturday, with highs in the 60s, said Bill Hoffer of the National Weather Service. Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy with highs in the low 60s, Hoffer said.
But there is a 50 percent chance of rain on Monday with a high temperature expected to reach the mid-to-upper 50s. And it could keep raining through Christmas.
“These (storms) are born and bred in the Gulf of Alaska and come down along our coast,” Hoffer said.
The rain is the best bailout for San Diego County farmers, says San Diego’s Channel 6:
When it comes to rainfall so far this season, San Diego is way above normal. But, our reservoirs are still far under capacity. Years of drought in the state have left them so depleted, it is hard to imagine them filling up anytime soon.
Tenille Othero, a spokesman for the San Diego County Water Authority, said “we need enormous amounts of rain, Noah’s Ark amounts of rain to make up for the dry spell.”
But California’s farmers appreciate all the rain they can get. Perhaps no professional group cheered the downpours more than those who grow avocados.
Burnet Wohlford, who runs Heritage Ranch Management, said avocados require far more water than his citrus plants. His ranch in Escondido has a water bill of about $20,000 a month. Another ranch of his cost $40,000 a month. When it rains, he can stop the sprinklers for at least a month if not more.
The savings could help keep him in business–at least for now.
Read more from San Diego’s Channel 6 by clicking here.
Butte County braces for drought; Biggest worry is that ‘worst water crisis in California history’ may lead to huge amounts of groundwater pumping
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 20, 2008 at 6:22 am
From the Chico News & Review:
Don’t let this week’s rain and snow fool you. California is still in its third year of drought. If you want proof, take a look at Lake Oroville, which is at 29 percent of capacity, the lowest since 1977. Shasta Lake is just as bad.
When the state’s two largest reservoirs are that short on water in December, water officials get nervous. “The Department of Water Resources calls this the most significant water crisis in California history,” Vickie Newlin, assistant director of the county’s Department of Water and Resource Conservation (DWRC), said during a meeting of the county’s Drought Task Force last Thursday (Dec. 11).
As a result, there is widespread anxiety locally about the security of Northern California’s water and whether there will be sufficient quantities next year for the area’s farmers. Many of them are anticipating reduced allocations from Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, while they watch well-water levels drop dramatically.
In June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a drought emergency for much of the Central Valley. And the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) has created a drought water bank for the first time since 1991-92, the last major drought period. It’s looking to deposit as much as 600,000 acre-feet of water in that bank.
And where will that water come from? You guessed it: Northern California.
According to a draft of the plan, three types of water could be designated for transfer to the drought bank: currently stored water, water that can be replaced with groundwater, and water freed up by shifting crops or idling them altogether.
Read more about Northern Californian’s concerns about the drought bank in this story from the Chico News & Review by clicking here.
City of Folsom worries as water level nears intake; water officials in Central Valley are anxiously watching reservoirs, too
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 20, 2008 at 5:57 am
From the Folsom Telegraph, with Folsom Lake currently at 25% capacity, the City of Folsom is growing increasingly concerned, as the water level is within 48 feet of the city’s intake:
A highly anticipated meeting with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and those who draw water from Folsom Lake resulted in no emergency plans for the lake’s low level.
On Monday, Folsom city officials met with the bureau, the agency responsible for releasing water from Folsom Lake, and other agencies that pull water from the reservoir in the hopes of crafting plans to deal with the lake’s dangerously low level. “We did have a meeting on Monday with a lot of the purveyors,” said Folsom Utilities Director Ken Payne. “We’re going to watch the precipitation when we go through December and January.”
In a statement released by Payne late last week, he said the meeting with the USBR would address “drought year contingency plans.”
The stage two water alert will remain in effect in Folsom, he said. “Until we develop this contingency plan with the USBR and the other water purveyors that draw from Folsom Reservoir such as El Dorado Irrigation District, Roseville, San Juan Water District and others, we will wait to change our stage alert status,” Payne said in the statement.
Those plans have yet to be formed.
The bureau announced they are holding a meeting in January with Central Valley users. “The bureau has a central valley user group meeting in mid-January so we’re in a wait-and-see mode to see what happens in the next month or so,” Payne said. “This time of year it’s hard to plan what’s going to happen for the winter.”
They’re anxiously watching the reservoir levels drop in the Central Valley, too, in this story from the Manteca Bulletin:
San Luis Reservoir in the Coastals west of Los Banos is now down to 12 percent of its 2 million acre-feet of water capacity and is still dropping.
“It’s good we’re getting the snow,” [South San Joaquin Irrigation District general manager] Shields said. “The snow pack is a critical component of the state’s water storage system.”
New Melones — the reservoir that partially dictates the SSJID’s water fortunes — holds 2,420,000 acre feet of water. As of Wednesday, it was down to 1,131,000 acre feet. “I’d like to say the glass is half full but it is really half empty,” Shields said of the continuing stress the drought is placing on the state’s water supplies.
Shields believes if the snow predicted for next week materializes, it will put the SSJID in a fairly decent position for next spring given the capacity of the Tri-Dam System it operates with Oakdale Irrigation District. But even he concedes it is “iffy” depending upon how the rest of winter plays out.
Read the rest of this story from the Manteca Bulletin by clicking here.
California holiday travelers to face deluge
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 19, 2008 at 6:00 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
It’s going to be a stormy, stormy Christmas.
National Weather Service officials predict a tropical storm will slam Central California on Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day, bringing as much as 15 inches of rain to coastal areas and 4 inches of rain to the Sacramento Valley.
The weather service calls this type of storm an “atmospheric river,” because it draws tropical moisture in a jet across the Pacific Ocean that often targets a defined area, directing rainfall like a fire hose.
Often called by the slang term “pineapple express,” such storms have been blamed for some of California’s worst flooding events.
Because California’s reservoirs are largely empty after two years of drought, flooding on major rivers is not expected. But local creek flooding can be expected, said Dave Reynolds, meteorologist in charge at the weather service’s San Francisco regional office.
He said Californians planning holiday travels should prepare for the worst and be willing to cancel those yuletide visits if necessary.
“People should start to think. They should really pay close attention to weather reports over the weekend,” Reynolds said. “Travel’s going to be ugly Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, because it’s just going to be raining cats and dogs.”
Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Recent storms do little for water supply outlook; Despite wet weather, snowpack remains well below normal; continued conservation critical
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 18, 2008 at 2:18 pmFrom the Long Beach Water Department, this press release:
Long Beach Water officials are today reminding customers to continue conserving all the water they can by taking advantage of the recent wet weather and shutting off irrigation systems until the middle of next week. While recent storms have provided local rain and snow, snowpack in the northern Sierra Nevada is currently 90 percent below normal for the year. Northern Sierra snowpack is a primary imported water source for Central Valley and southern California farms and cities. Long Beach imports half its water supply.
“We need to take advantage of the rain we’ve received over the last couple of days and use it wisely,” according to Matt Lyons, Director of Conservation and Planning for the Long Beach Water Department. “This rain is enough to allow all of us to shut our irrigation systems off for several days.” Between 50 and 70 percent of all the water used in Long Beach is used outside the home, primarily on lush, non-native landscapes. “Not having to irrigate for 4 to 6 days saves vast amounts of water,” added Lyons.
Compounding the necessity to conserve, earlier this week, federal wildlife officials released NEW restrictions on pumping from northern California, further exacerbating the water supply reliability problems for imported water users in cities like Long Beach, as well as San Joaquin Valley farms. The curbs placed on pumping water through the Bay Delta are intended to save the Delta Smelt, an endangered fish, from extinction. A new biological opinion, released on Monday by Fish and Wildlife’s office in Sacramento, supports continuing current pumping restrictions, which have resulted in a 20 to 30 percent reduction in water deliveries, but also adopts additional pumping restrictions that the agency believes will help improve Delta Smelt habitat. These additional restrictions could in some years cut imported water deliveries to the Central Valley and southern California by half, which is a worst case scenario, but entirely feasible. Again, the Bay Delta (State Water Project) provides about 30 percent of southern California’s imported water supply.
According to Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department, the extremely weak snowpack, coupled with desperately low water storage throughout the state, not to mention the endangered species issues in the Bay Delta itself, should be a catalyst for southern California water managers to immediately increase action on extraordinary conservation measures. “We need a region-wide, full-scale effort to permanently prohibit certain outdoor watering activities.”
“Mandated prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water, which were adopted in Long Beach in September of 2007, continue to be the very best, most immediate way to save vast amounts of water,” states John Allen, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. With these mandated prohibitions, over the last twelve months, Long Beach residents have consumed less water than at any time over the past 10 years. Consumption for the past 12 months is 10.1 percent below the historical 10-year average. “We understood there would be a learning curve for us all, and that exercising these new practices would help us become the very best prepared city in southern California to deal with severe shortages; we’re ready and we think it’s prudent that other communities do the same,” he added.
The Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners has continued to call for increased action throughout southern California, with regard to extraordinary water conservation, and particularly prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water.
Long Beach Water is an urban, southern California retail water supply agency, and the standard in water conservation and environmental stewardship.
Ryan J. Alsop
Director of Government & Public Affairs
Long Beach Water
Another Sierra storm brews, heavy snow, high winds
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 18, 2008 at 2:12 pmFrom the San Jose Mercury News:
Another winter storm was headed Thursday for much of the northern Sierra and Lake Tahoe, where another foot or so of snow was expected at lake level by Friday and up to 2 feet at higher elevations.
Between 2 and 4 inches of snow was forecast for the valley floors in Reno and Carson City by Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.
Blowing snow was expected to reduce visibility with winds gusting up to 45 mph in the valleys and up to 100 mph over mountain ridges.
“It will be a fairly quick-moving system, with Tahoe and Truckee (Calif.) north getting the most precipitation,” said Jessica Kielhorn, a meteorologist for the weather service.
A winter storm warning was set to go into effect from 4 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday at Lake Tahoe and the northern Sierra. A winter weather advisory was set for 10 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. in Reno and Carson City, and extending to 4 p.m. Friday at points east, including Fernley, Fallon and Lovelock.
Read more from the San Jose Mercury News by clicking here.
Unusual snowstorm closes three major Southern California freeways; I-5, I-15 and the Antelope Valley Freeway are shut down, stranding thousands of motorists
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 18, 2008 at 7:42 amFrom Los Angeles Times:
An unusually strong arctic blast dumped snow over a large swath of Southern California mountains and high deserts Wednesday, shutting down some of the state’s busiest freeways, stranding thousands of motorists and cutting off several communities.
The storm’s combination of frigid air, powerful winds and heavy precipitation dropped the snow level to an unusually low 2,000 feet, with at least 20 inches of snow in Wrightwood, 5 inches in the hills above Malibu and 6 inches or more in Palmdale, where all major routes from Los Angeles were blocked.
Forecasters expect the cold temperatures to continue today as the storm moves out, and another storm is expected to hit the region Sunday night.
Snow and ice shut down three of the region’s key north-south routes — Interstate 5, Interstate 15 and the 14 Freeway — along with numerous mountain roads and desert highways.
Fox News reported that even Malibu had a dusting of snow yesterday, and the Imperial Valley Press reported that the storm dumped an inch of rain in Imperial County, equal to about 1/3rd of the average annual rainfall. Read the full text of the Los Angeles Times story by clicking here.
Rainfall brings scant drought relief
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 17, 2008 at 5:32 amFrom the Whittier Daily News:
The season’s first wintry storm dusted the San Gabriel Mountains with snow and produced nearly two inches of rain in the San Gabriel Valley.
Forecasters predict that by the end of the week, the rainfall may reach three inches, which will help replenish the area’s underground water supply, said Timothy Jochem, general manager of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District.
“The storm gave us a bit more rain than we had expected, and our groundwater basin will rise a couple of inches because of the it,” Jochem said.
This week’s rainfall is welcome relief to the state’s two consecutive dry rainy seasons. In the past two years, Southern California received less than half of its normal rainfall, said Steve Nemeth, water supply forecaster for the California Department of Water Resources.
But it’s going to take more than three inches to alleviate the drought, Nemeth said. “The deficit we have is quite large,” said Nemeth. “It would take a humongous, extremely large storm to recoup the loss from previous years.”
Read more from the Whittier Daily News by clicking here.
PG&E, county government talk cloud seeding
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 16, 2008 at 4:36 pmFrom the Siskiyou Daily News:
Representatives from Pacific Gas and Electric addressed the board of supervisors last week at its regular meeting. Two PG&E scientists made presentations and answered questions from the board concerning the cloud seeding project that is about to be implemented in the Pit-McCloud watershed area of southern Siskiyou County.
The weather modification project has caused controversy in various tribal groups and concerned citizens from the county’s southern sector, who question the safety and appropriateness of the cloud seeding procedure.
Cloud seeding, also known as weather modification, attempts to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds.
Janet Walther, a governmental relations consultant for PG&E, introduced Gary Freeman, managing hydrologist, and Byron Marler, chief meteorologist, to the board.
Freeman discussed the hydrology of the Pit-McCloud watershed. He noted that 40 percent of PG&E’s hydroelectric power generation comes from Northern California aquifers. These aquifers, according to Freeman, are subject to long periods of droughts. Due to reduced precipitation, including loss of sufficient snow pack, the aquifer’s ability and opportunity to recharge has been greatly diminished in recent years.
Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News by clicking here.
Tahoe’s winter weather: Storms, temperatures and snowpack
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 16, 2008 at 7:52 amFrom the Sierra Sun:
December is half gone and we’re still waiting for snow. As I write this the National Weather Service has predicted a significant pattern change in the next few days with a strong cold front followed by an extended period of light to moderate snowfall. If this forecast verifies and the ski areas receive a healthy dose of snow, it will have arrived just in time.
Tahoe resorts, businesses and their employees are feeling the combined effects from a lack of early season snow and a national economic crisis which has crushed consumer spending. It is a perfect storm of bad news that should be partially ameliorated by this week’s snow and the cold weather, which will facilitate robust snowmaking on the slopes.
Snow is important, but water is desperately needed too. Lake Tahoe is currently storing only three percent of its total reservoir capacity. The flow entering the Truckee River from the lake had dropped to just a trickle. Without a significant precipitation event Lake Tahoe will drop to its natural rim and stop feeding the Truckee River. This first storm of the 2009 winter season is bringing snow. Unfortunately it appears water content will be minimal.
December is an important month when it comes to building up the snowpack and replenishing regional watersheds. The Central Sierra Snow Lab averages more than 8 inches of precipitation (rain and melted snow) during December (16 percent of the average annual total) and nearly 70 inches of snow, which is about 17 percent of a season’s total.
Read more from the Sierra Sun by clicking here.
State reviving drought water bank
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 15, 2008 at 6:16 amFrom the Oroville Mercury Register:
Landowners in Northern California who are interested in selling water are talking with the state Department of Water Resources about the 2009 Drought Water Bank. The head of that program for the state, Teresa Geimer, gave an overview of those plans at a meeting of the Butte Basin Water Users Association in Nelson last week.
The water bank has not been used since drought conditions in the early 1990s.
The state is looking for up to 600,000 acre-feet of water, although with a grim water year, that amount is likely not to be reached. The transfers would be primarily from Northern California, Geimer said.
Geimer said the water bank is for only one year and would be negotiated from willing buyers and sellers. Already, about 30 entities have notified the state to say they are interested; however, more can still join the program. The list of those interested has not been made public, she said.
As in the past, many of those transfers will come from farmers who choose not to farm, or landowners choosing to plant less water-intensive crops. The rules are that no more than 20 percent of crops could be affected in each county.
Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register by clicking here.
Butte County Drought Task Force looking at drought reaction
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 13, 2008 at 7:17 amFrom the Chico Enterprise-Record:
Drought isn’t just a Southern California problem. Throughout the Sacramento Valley, water officials are noting that well levels are dropping, some to points that haven’t been seen since the 1970s.
The Butte County Drought Task Force met this week to ponder the state of the drought and what county leaders can do about it. Members include leaders in areas such as emergency services, Resource Conservation District, California Water Service, Cooperative Extension, the Water Commission, etc.
Butte County is currently in its first phase of drought. However, if it doesn’t rain — a lot — the county will soon upgrade that status to phase 2, explained Paul Gosselin, director of the county Department of Water and Resource Conservation.
But it’s time to start preparing strategies to deal with the predicted continued drought, Gosselin explained. “Things are starting to get more dire.” He told Drought Task Force members the county may need to soon “consider and recommend” water conservation practices.
Butte County residents use about 285 gallons of water each per day. That’s about 100 gallons more than residents in Southern California, Gosselin said. “The worst thing for next year would be for people to not be fully aware,” Gosselin said. In any crisis, including drought “rumor and misinformation” can cause chaos.
Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.
Weekend cold snap is in store for Southland
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 12, 2008 at 1:16 pmFrom the Los Angeles Times:
Southern Californians can probably go straight from sunglasses to ski goggles this weekend, as the nastiest chill in a while is expected to blast through the unusually mild autumn weather.
The storm will probably bring rain and snow at the beginning of next week, with snow possibly covering the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains down to 2,000 feet in elevation, according to the National Weather Service.
“This is going to be our first whopper snowstorm of the season,” said William Patzert, a climatologist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “You get one of these every five to 10 years.”
This storm marks the end of a strangely cool summer and an unusually warm autumn. Temperatures have been running about four degrees above normal in the last three months because of dry, warm Santa Ana conditions from the Southwest, Patzert said. Temperatures could drop 20 degrees in a few days, he said.
Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
All eyes on Folsom Lake; City’s water supply slipping to low levels
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 12, 2008 at 6:12 amFrom the Folsom Telegraph:
Folsom’s water levels have plummeted dangerously low, putting the lake within 46 feet of the city’s intake pipe and jeopardizing the steady flow of water to residents. Already under a stage two water alert, city officials are considering taking even more drastic measures to help conserve water. The lake is sitting at less than 25 percent capacity.
Folsom Utilities Director Ken Payne told The Telegraph back on Oct. 1 that city officials were asking the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to consider the needs of Folsom residents when they decide to release water. The city has no control over the release of the water, even though the lake is the only source of water for Folsom.
If the lake gets below 320 feet, where the city’s pipeline puts in at the dam, then the city, in theory, could run dry. “Then we actually get worried about getting water into our pipeline,” Payne said.
Read more from the Folsom Telegraph by clicking here.
Drought parches much of the U.S., may get worse
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 12, 2008 at 5:51 amFrom CNN:
At least 36 states expect to face water shortages within the next five years, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, several regions in particular have been hit hard: the Southeast, Southwest and the West. Texas, Georgia and South Carolina have suffered the worst droughts this year, the agency said.
Yet most people don’t need a federal agency to tell them there’s a water shortage. Plenty of cities have implemented water bans while state squabbles over water usage are common in some regions. What may surprise people, though, are the causes for the recent drought.
It’s not global warming, some climatologists say. The droughts are caused by rapid population growth and unwise agricultural choices.
John R. Christy, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, says the last three years have been drier than usual in many parts of the United States, but overall there’s been no shortage of rainfall. He says the U.S. mainland experienced worse droughts in the 12th and 16th centuries. “The demand for water has gone up,” Christy says. “The demand has skyrocketed in places like California and New Mexico because they’ve tried to grow crops in deserts.”
Even drought conditions in the Southeast can’t be blamed on a shortage of rainfall, Christy says. The region’s water delivery systems can’t keep pace with the growth, he says. “The rain is still falling, but you’re out of water because the storage facilities are not big enough,” Christy says.
Read more from CNN by clicking here.
California braces for first real taste of winter
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 11, 2008 at 1:26 pmWill ski resorts be opening at last? From the Tahoe Daily Tribune:
Tie-down the lawn furniture, secure the garbage cans and bring in the extra bundle of firewood because it’s going to be windy, cold and snowy at Lake Tahoe over the next few days.
An intense cold front will move rapidly through the region Friday night and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno, which has issued a high wind watch. Strong downslope winds are possible along the Eastern Sierra from Reno and Lake Tahoe southward into Mono and Mineral counties.
Meanwhile, the weather service reports the Sierra could fetch between 1 to 2 feet of snow between Saturday and Wednesday.
Snow isn’t only expected in the Sierras; snow is forecasted for Southern California as well, according to the O.C. Register:
Forecasters say light rain could fall — on-and-off — Saturday through Wednesday, with up to 2 inches of rain in Orange County’s foothills and canyons. But the bigger story might be snow. Forecasters say the low pressure system is likely to drop about 1 foot of snow on the ski resorts of Big Bear and Arrowhead. It’s even possible that six inches of snow will fall above the 4,000 foot level In Orange County’s Santa Ana Mountains.
“This will be a very cold, windy system that will drop snow and rain in a series of impulses,” says Dan Atkin, a weather service forecaster. “The winds could reach damaging levels — 60 mph or higher — in the upper mountains. The highest peaks could get 2 feet of snow.”
From the Central Valley Business Times:
With an extremely cold and wet winter storm front headed for California this weekend, state agencies have been ordered to activate the state’s extreme cold/freeze emergency plan.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also directed the California National Guard to work with local officials to open 10 armories across the state that are now providing vulnerable populations protection from cold weather.
“Extremely cold weather over a long period of time can have a devastating impact on people, animals and our crops,” says Mr. Schwarzenegger. “We are taking steps now to make sure we’re ready to help those who are most vulnerable. Every Californian needs to take early precautions.”
Good news for the snowpack….
There could be snow in them thar hills this weekend!
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 11, 2008 at 6:47 amFrom the San Jose Mercury News:
There’s some cold, wet weather headed our way this weekend, and here’s a hint where it’s coming from: Right now, Sarah Palin can see it from her front porch.
A cold air mass is barreling toward Silicon Valley from Alaska, and though you probably won’t need to break out your snow machine like the First Dude, there should be a mantle of white on Mount Hamilton by Sunday. The National Weather Service doesn’t expect more than a dusting, but it should be enough to get everyone thinking about a white Christmas.
“For sure, Mount Hamilton will get some snow out of this,” said Ryan Walbrun, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service center in Monterey. But with snow levels descending only to 3,000 feet, what most of us will get this weekend when we look up at the snow-capped peak is a face full of wet.
The forecast is for a 30 to 40 percent chance of showers Saturday and Sunday, but it may all add up to only a quarter-inch of precipitation. That’s literally a drop in the bucket. San Jose’s rainfall total for the year is 1.52 inches, just 44 percent of what used to be considered “normal.” Last year at this time, the city was at just 59 percent of normal, so parched seems to be the new normal.
“At this point, we need above-average rainfall just to get us to average water supply,” explained Susan Siravo, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Read more from the San Jose Mercury News by clicking here.
There’s even a possibility of snow in Southern California, in this blurb from Bakersfield Now:
… by this weekend a massive region of low pressure will drop out of the northwest encompassing most of the western U.S. This upcoming change is also expected to bring windy weather initially to blow away the fog and then our first real chance for winter precipitation to low elevations in Kern County. Depending on how much moisture is pulled up from semi-tropical regions, we could see several inches of snow down to the Grapevine and below. Current computer models suggest snow levels to about 3,000 feet late Sunday and early Monday. Rain in the valley will be significant and welcomed.
Read more from Bakersfield Now by clicking here.
Oscillation rules as the Pacific cools, but is snow headed for Southern California?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2008 at 6:22 am
From NASA:
The latest image of sea-surface height measurements from the U.S./French Jason-1 oceanography satellite shows the Pacific Ocean remains locked in a strong, cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a large, long-lived pattern of climate variability in the Pacific associated with a general cooling of Pacific waters. The image also confirms that El Niño and La Niña remain absent from the tropical Pacific.
The new image is available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/20081209.html.
The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on Nov. 15, 2008, compared to the long-term average of observations from 1993 through 2008. In the image, places where the Pacific sea-surface height is higher (warmer) than normal are yellow and red, and places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are blue and purple. Green shows where conditions are near normal. Sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the upper ocean.
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a long-term fluctuation of the Pacific Ocean that waxes and wanes between cool and warm phases approximately every five to 20 years. In the present cool phase, higher-than-normal sea-surface heights caused by warm water form a horseshoe pattern that connects the north, west and southern Pacific. This is in contrast to a cool wedge of lower-than-normal sea-surface heights spreading from the Americas into the eastern equatorial Pacific. During most of the 1980s and 1990s, the Pacific was locked in the oscillation’s warm phase, during which these warm and cool regions are reversed. For an explanation of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and its present state, see: http://jisao.washington.edu/pdo/ and http://www.esr.org/pdo_index.html .
More from NASA by clicking here.
OK, so it’s not looking good for the Southwest … but is there a rare arctic blast headed Southern California’s way? Thanks to David at Westchester Parents for sending me this link from the Ventura County Star:
With a warm November, Southern California is finally ready for cold storms to make their way in. Resort level snow will be likely next week, and in pretty hefty amounts if things stay on track. OWSweather.com Meteorologist Kevin Martin predicts a 50 year event. While Martin is usually conservative on these events, the pattern highly favors it. “We are in a pre-1950 type pattern, “said Martin. “We know we are due for a winter storm sometime this year. The type we may be dealing with will be ranked up there with the known years before 1950, which set record low daytime temperatures into the forecast region. With this, may come low elevation snow.”
More from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
High, dry and waiting: Lack of rain and snow has Tahoe resort operators, Sonoma County water officials looking to skies for salvation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 5, 2008 at 8:03 am
From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
They’re still riding bikes at Tahoe. Roses are framing houses now sporting Christmas lights in Santa Rosa, and tomato plants seem to have entered a second season in some Sonoma County gardens.
For water officials throughout Northern California, and sports enthusiasts in the mountains, the fall so far has brought a troubling conclusion: No rain, no snow, and not much on the horizon.
“It’s gorgeous. It’s not what we want,” said Jessica Michaan, at Homewood Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe.
It’s been a month since any measurable rain has fallen in the North Bay, leaving a total of only 3.39 inches to date in Santa Rosa, compared with a year-to-date average of 7.07 inches.Last year, 4.29 inches had fallen, also below average. “We’re still hopeful for a wet winter,” said Daniel Muelrath, Santa Rosa’s water conservation program coordinator.
Yes, I was up there over the holiday and it was quite lovely. And not much snow, anywhere. Look at that picture - now that’s desperation! Boreal is always the first ski resort to open, even if they have to manufacture snow on only one run to do it.
Read the full text of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
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