Posted on 03/19/2023 6:02:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Californians desperate for a break in the rain will find a glimmer of hope in a new forecast released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
The outlook for the month of April leans toward below average chances of rain and snow for the state.
But don’t put away your umbrellas just yet – there are a few caveats to mention.
First off, there’s more rain in store before we even get to April. The next 10 days are likely to be very wet, as there’s already another atmospheric river lurking off the coast and heading our way.
Next week’s atmospheric river will probably peak Tuesday or Wednesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Dalton Behringer said. It’s too soon to say exactly which part of the state will be hardest hit, but state climatologist Michael Anderson said earlier this week that the storm’s impact zone could stretch from the Bay Area to San Diego.
Yosemite National Park extends closure as another winter storm heads toward California Once that storm passes, things are looking a bit drier, as is normal for April in California. “It’s not like we’re going into this crazy dry pattern or anything,” Behringer said. “It’s just April is typically the time that we would dry out and we’re seeing that pattern start to shift towards a drier pattern after the end of this month.”
Behringer cautioned against a misreading of the map (below), which forecasts in terms of probabilities – not certainties. The forecast calls for a 33% to 50% chance of below-average precipitation for California in April.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re not gonna see any rain,” Behringer said. “This tells you there’s a chance of below-normal precipitation, not how much below-normal precipitation. … We could still see an atmospheric river – that doesn’t mean you can’t get those to happen.”
Brian Garcia, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office, said it could even be months before we see prolonged stretches of dry weather.
“If we go deep into the crystal ball, then the week of the 27th we might have a few sunny days, but in all likelihood, we won’t dry out until we get deep into spring and early summer,” he told Nexstar last week.
Don’t know where that comes from, but it’s the standard cited rule of thumb. Maybe it includes industrial
too bad California hasn’t built any new water storage in 50+ years.
All that water could be used to farm the entire Western half of the San Joaquin Valley
Instead, it simply runs out to sea.
I live in Palm Desert and we have had VERY FEW days of rain, lots of snow on the mountains however in the last couple of weeks that has melted off!!
If only the Democrats who rule California had decided to build even a single new reservoir sometime in the last 40 years. But they didn’t, so all the water is just draining away, and the Democrats will continue to insist that there’s a drought and water usage must be restricted.
Atmospheric river is a long defined pattern that used to be called the Pineapple Express. Seem typically in winter months it impacts the west coast. This has been the meteorological name for this weather pattern for a long time.
the orange poppies out by Palmdale should be crazy this year
No it’s still there. I had a field exercise there in 2011. Cold.
California politicians want to spend billions on reparations but will not build any new dams. What a bunch of morons. This is the result of dumbing down the population. California is the laughing stock fir the rest of the country.
They are naming storms. I hear they are planning on naming individual raindrops- quantum computing and all that
Suggestion, instead of simply saying “incorrect” how about enlightening me and point to where I am wrong?
I can admit to being wrong, can you prove you are right?
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Coastal storms are now named (just like hurricanes) and are called "extratropical cyclonic bombs" which undergo "bombogenesis" as they "explosively develop" off our coast, scaring the heck out of the fishes and making people on land run to the supermarkets to stock up on milk and bread.
Cold waves are now "polar vortexes" and people are urged by wide-eyed weather gals on TV to "huddle indoors" and binge-watch your favorite TV shows - hopefully the power stays on for you all but if it doesn't, here are the "emergency" 800 numbers you can call for assistance...stay tuned for important updates on this rapidly developing weather emergency.
We took that one a couple times. Ends at Lucia on the coast. My wife was driving the first time and we got pulled over for speeding by the MP’s.
What's next? Naming heatwaves?
Used to be wedding bells.
Back in 1929, John Steinbach wrote "Grapes of Wrath".
In the last few chapters, he tells the story about how torrential rains in California created rivers where there were none...
Must have been global climate changes that long ago too....
The signs make it clear that they don’t condone speeding. The road ends very near Kirk Creek Campground. It’s my favorite family camping destination.
All this because I drive a Chevy V8 pickup, like my thermostat set a 72, and eat all the beef I want.
All this moisture grows the grass and chaparral big and thick, then it doesn’t rain after April until December, drying up all that big and thick vegetation. Then the fires are in the news.
California’s two seasons: mudslide and fire.
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