Five of the eight years when values fell below -3 occurred between 2007 and 2016, with unprecedented dry years in 2014 and 2015. A wet pattern brought beneficial moisture to the West this winter. <<
Aerial view of Reno, Nevada (foreground), and Lake Tahoe (background) on January 14, 2014. Graph adapted from original by Nina Oakley, based on NOAA Climate Division Data. The Lowess Smoothing Runoff line presents the best fit curve through the annual runoff data to help see the relation between variables and foresee trends. It's supposed to be the rainy season in Brazil, so where has all the water gone. 1 0 obj
The most populated state in the country is facing what may be its worst drought in a century of record-keeping. See other events in Drought,El Niño & La Niña,Extreme Rain,Floods, California Facing Worst Drought on Record. 2016 California Drought Update; Current Reservoir Conditions Daily graphs of reservoir storage data, including percent of capacity and percent of historical average. It poured in California in December. stream
In Nevada, the situation is much the same. The USGS stream gaging network provides accurate stream flow records and enables the compilation of runoff data for California. * DOI and USGS link and privacy policies apply. Each was much … Check back for updates on the California drought, its impacts, and the climate factors that are influencing the record dry spell. How precipitation accumulates across California over the span of 30 months beginning in July and ending in the third following December on average (dark blue) and most recently (gray, July 2011-December 2013). California has a climate like the Mediterranean region: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Runoff Estimates for California The runoff estimate for California is the quantity of water that is discharged - or "runs off" - from the state, in monthly or annual time periods. It is important to note that because the number of streamgages in operation can vary from year to year, more accurate estimates of annual runoff are made during years when a larger number of gages are operational. Runoff data are from USGS Water Watch. (Of course, there are huge differences from place to place based on elevation.) The water that remains available, or runoff, is the amount of water that makes its way to streams, rivers, and, possibly, to the ocean. Check back for updates on the California drought, its impacts, and the climate factors that … Between the city and the lake, the mountains are nearly bare of snow, an unmistakable sign of precipitation deficits. California’s current drought is being billed as the driest period in the state’s recorded rainfall history. /Filter /FlateDecode
Photo by Kelly Redmond. The runoff estimate for California is the quantity of water that is discharged - or "runs off" - from the state, in monthly or annual time periods. From 2012 to 2016, California experienced its most extreme drought on record, coinciding with years of record warmth and record low snowpack. Roll over graph lines for specific values. x��}ˮm;n]��v�@v�~t] 0�$��Abgp:��p��Hj�y��HUݪS�hi��7��������#~���������|�?�����_������W��뇚���]����W��;M��#�~}����������
]����P{��`�����i$���7��9�%F�s�1��UF��q�N�Q����[)��u���~}=��C�_�A���Ͽ����gӑ��]ݏ�n��}�S�gd�+|7�W_�h��V� u�{������3F*4��z���e�Pd@%|�V��/E�������~ͪ`]�E�r����U9�����?�����������s��ܦ������%�B{C��q��g���c�s]c�ߕ��[/q>���__}���K#����w&��]C��S�w�5V`������}!��]Z�{������G�e�! The last week of January is the midway point of the winter wet season, and accumulated precipitation since July is the lowest on record. %PDF-1.6
More than half of the annual precipitation arrives via winter storms between December and February. For the third winter in a row, precipitation has been below normal across the state. Runoff occurs as the result of precipitation (both rainfall and snowfall) that is in excess of the demands of evaporation from land surfaces, transpiration from vegetation, and infiltration into soils. Winter storms bring only fleeting relief to drought-stricken California, January precipitation deficits keep California drought outlook grim, Over a million acres burned in California in second half of August 2020, Hot, dry summer and slow start to wet season primed California for November 2018 fires. Values below -3 represent severe to extreme drought. /Length 2 0 R
The current conditions are the product of several poor wet seasons in succession. Drought tips: 15 easy ways to save water now; A Silver Lining: California Real Estate (Sponsored) Rather than face deadly slides, some Calif. residents are leaving In the 30 months preceding December 2013, the state has received closer to 33 inches, just a bit less than the previous record low for a similar period, from July 1975-December 1977. California is drought-free for the first time since 2011. Ending At Midnight - October 3, 2020 Graph Updated 10/04/2020 04:48 PM LEGEND Capacity (TAF) % of Capacity|% of Historical Average Historical Average Trinity Lake 55%| 81% BEGINNING about 1,100 years ago, what is now California baked in two droughts, the first lasting 220 years and the second 140 years. As a result, drought conditions have improved across the state. Click and drag across the graph to zoom. October 20, 2020 Valid 8 a.m. EDT (Released Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020) U.S. Drought Monitor California None D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4 D4 Current 15.40 84.60 67.54 35.61 12.74 0.00 Last Week Can we stop talking about the drought? Click and drag across the graph to zoom. Click legend to toggle graph lines on and off. Roll over graph lines for specific values. Water levels in all but a few reservoirs in the state are less than 50% of capacity, mountains are nearly bare of snow except at the highest elevations, and the fire risk is extreme. Graph adapted from original by Nina Oakley, based on NOAA Climate Division Data. �w8/�;���i+ `�����r�`��ejI�OG(3H�_Z� k.{�[���"�PK�����,t5�YF��%�Z���:�\����3O{M��2�
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?�̝,HL�i���È�4�@��5�M86��#�eM�[���]�4�Ҿ��Jt�u���;ҩꌶ��J�&�M���i�c��2H��3�/�w���DQ����F�����;�A}�1�gI��|��ь��� Daily California Reservoir Data Daily updates of storage, inflow and outflow measurements at each of California… Moreland, J.A., 1993 Drought: U.S. Geological Survey Water Fact Sheet, Open-File Report 93-642, 2, Drought - The Stealth Disaster Part 1, Overview, Drought - The Stealth Disaster Part 2, Science for Drought Planning, USGS Water Science School: Questions and answers about droughts. On January 20, the governor of California declared a state of emergency, urging everyone to begin conserving water. Precipitation in California is sharply seasonal, with a winter wet season and a summer dry season. On average, California will accumulate more than 53 inches of precipitation statewide over a typical 30-month span stretching from July to December, based on NOAA Climate Division Data. Water year data are from October 1 to April 1. The past 30 months—encompassing the past two winter wet seasons and the first half of the current one—are the driest since 1895 for comparable months. Periods of sparse streamgage data, such as the years prior to 1930, may have unreliable runoff estimates. >>
c�Ţa)���b��tb�i�3�[��B�b��Am�x4�h'��V{��i[&�`��D�hsi���Qx㤃·�I��{0�X�h#(�m7������i4���v��<3�K�M)ҹ�t��=%� v��L�"]�Q p�ъ��ҖT����9=�>DܫI��PW�lQ�H�� +6. Click legend to toggle graph lines on and off.