California's 'atmospheric rivers' bring limited rain relief - a look at the Western drought by the numbers

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/californias-atmospheric-rivers-bring-
limited-rain-relief-a-look-at-the-western-drought-by-the-numbers-
11634926701?siteid=yhoof2

Moderate to heavy rain fell across Northern California heading into a
weekend that’s expected bring stormy weather to the drought-ravaged state,
which is among the hardest hit as the U.S. West continues to strain under
dry conditions.

The sound of drops hitting windows may be beneficial for the state’s
psyche, but such sudden precipitation brings its own worries — the
inability for hard ground to soak up rainfall, causing flash floods.
That’s especially true for vast areas where vegetation has been scorched
by wildfires.

For sure, the expected rainfall won’t be near enough to deliver the state
from drought. For the still-smoldering fires, however, rain and in the
mountains, snow, bring a welcome assist to firefighters trying to keep
blazes under control after another high-toll season for wildfires.

Here are some of the latest updates on drought conditions in California,
the world’s fifth-largest economy and the largest U.S. state, and across
the broader Western U.S.

As of Oct. 19, 38.9% of the U.S. and 46.5% of the lower 48 states are in
drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System,
which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).


Current drought conditions, extreme conditions in red, from the U.S.
Drought Monitor and NOAA.
That means 78.3 million people in the lower 48 states are affected by
drought this week, a gain of more than 8% since last month.

Some 208 million acres of crops in U.S. are experiencing drought
conditions this week, a gain of 4.7% since last month.

The drought map is changing for some states: rain continues to improve dry
conditions in the Northern Plains and Minnesota, according to the U.S.
Drought Monitor.

What’s an atmospheric river?
In California, but true for the wider West as well, attention remains on a
series of atmospheric rivers hitting the region, which could bring
beneficial precipitation for the drought deficit. An atmospheric river is
a narrow corridor of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere.

These conditions have other names: tropical plume, tropical connection,
moisture plume, water vapor surge and cloud band. Their intensity can be
dangerous: invisible rivers in the Earth’s atmosphere move up to 25 times
more water in a day than the Mississippi River.

Opinion: Drought is among the biggest dangers to the U.S. New water
technology is making its way across the country

Drought emergency holds
Even with rain falling this week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom reupped the
statewide drought emergency and gave regulators permission to enact
mandatory statewide water restrictions if they choose. The move was a
reminder that drought conditions are the product of climate change, and
less impacted by short-term weather changes.

Don’t miss: As drought ravages the West, any investor not focused on
climate risk is ‘really kidding themselves,’ says this portfolio manager

For decades, California has relied on rain and snow in the winter to fill
the state’s major rivers and streams in the spring, which then feed a
massive system of lakes that store water for drinking, farming and energy
production.

Shifting drought conditions in early next year show some relief for
pockets of the West but issues for Texas and Oklahoma, according to the
U.S. Drought Monitor and NOAA.

The annual runoff from the mountains is getting smaller, mostly because
it’s getting hotter and drier, not just because it’s raining less. For
instance, California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains earlier
this year was 60% of its historical average. But the amount of water that
made it to the reservoirs was similar to 2015, when the snowpack was just
5% of its historical average. This past year, California had its warmest
ever statewide monthly average temperatures in June, July and October
2020. Water is evaporating into the hotter air or was absorbed into the
drier soil, which is true across the arid Western U.S.

California’s 2021 “water year,” which just ended, was the second driest on
record. A year earlier was the fifth driest on record. The cumulative
effect leaves reservoirs at record low levels. State officials are already
predicting that the Lake Mendocino reservoir could be dry by next summer.

Barron’s: Another Reason for Rising Food Prices? Droughts.



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