Posted on 01/21/2010 10:32:26 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO -- El Niño is officially here. Finally.
Miserable commutes, howling winds, flooding streams, closed schools - this week's storms have had all the nasty punishments the famed weather pattern was supposed to bring, but hadn't so far this winter.
Thunder-filled skies dumped more than an inch of rain in most Bay Area locations for the third consecutive day Wednesday, and by the time everyone was able to see clearly through the car windshield again in the evening, the verdict was clear.
"It was looking more like El No-show than El Niño a couple of months ago, but there's no real doubt now," said National Weather Service forecaster Dave Reynolds. "This is now a pattern reminiscent of a moderate to strong El Niño, and it's not going to go away.
"We've now caught up in rainfall, and this kind of weather should last through the spring."
Statewide, reservoirs are still just at 74 percent of average to date, a hangover from three drier-than-normal years. Some are doing far better, however, including Hetch Hetchy, ..
And the Sierra snowpack, where the bulk of California's water supply is stored until summer, is at 96 percent of normal, and growing by the hour.
No more high pressure
The advent of a true El Niño is encouraging, and at best a harbinger of much wetness to come, Reynolds said.
In an El Niño, he explained, unusually warm conditions in the tropical Pacific shove clouds and thunderstorms across the ocean and into the West Coast. Most of those clouds weren't getting here until now, however, because of a high pressure system squatting off the California coast - but that system recently departed, and El Niño is free to rampage.
"The last time we had this kind of El Niño was in 1997-98," Reynolds said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Doubt if it's a so called "Dought Buster!"
At least not according to the DWP!!! I am expecting the DWP to announce when the storms are over that we are still in the midst of a drought! The reason? The California drought is pretty much man made because of the diversion of water away from Cali to save the fishies. Until they stop diverting, we will prob be in a never ending drought no matter what.
Sky is clearing here....
Rain out there?
Cool and very breezy but no rain!
Just had a thunder clap...wind no rain and I didn’t see where it came from...wierd.
More thunder,...but some distance away.
We’ve had rain this afternoon/evening like I haven’t seen in years!!!! Lots of lightning.
Coming down pretty good right now
Do we have any reporters on the scene in Bakersfield? They have been in the bulls-eye all day. DWR says Sierra snowpack is 96% of normal already. That has to bring joy to the Valley farmers. I talked to a friend in Niland and he said they have had over 3” of rain there since Monday. This may be the year my first wife and I get to the desert to see the wildflowers. My friend also said that Palm Springs had flooding.
Eureka got caught up on our season normal rainfall today and the rains are now south of us but that cold air coming down from Siberia has me a little worried about too much snow and then a warm El Nino pineapple connection to melt it within a week...
I hope this is all out of here by tomorrow.,
I am not aware of any Freepers from Bakersfield....might be some but I don’t know them,
Are we having fun yet?
Rain rain go away.......etc.
You’re right. It could rain every day for 5 years and the drought wouldn’t be over according to them. It gives them the excuse to set up higher prices, tighter regulations and more control over when and how you can use your water.
How many bums managed to fall in the San Lorenzo river and get clean...
We got another .66” today up in the high desert. Impressive! But no lightning, no thunder, no snow.
Listening to KCAL now talking about how LA city council and LA county council both held press conferences today, simultaneously, 25 miles apart, with the same information to share. Power trip much? They both come off looking like children. (which they are, for the most part)
:Congratulations..good amount for the high desert...but I am sure we beat that down here...it came down real good around here.
Oh I’m sure you did. It looked pretty hairy down there for awhile!
The pressures off...
I don’t know any FReepers from Bakersfield.
I think Fresno’s rainfall total has us a little above normal. It will be great to get a good snowpack. Hope it stays cold for awhile. I saw on local weather that snow could be as low as 2500 feet tonight.
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