It’s still going to be a long time before we’re out of this six-year drought, but scientists are stating that the current state-wide rainstorm is making some progress toward getting us where we want to be.
Mountain snowpack is currently measuring in at 135 percent of the pre-drought average and there’s likely to be more precipitation on the way, the L.A. Times reports. There are already lots of positive signs for our water levels. The Folsom Lake reservoir filled to the point where water had to be released to prevent overflow and the Sacramento River’s floodgate was opened for the first time in more than 11 years, allowing water to stream through the Yolo Bypass.
“We haven’t seen an event of this magnitude in at least a decade,” California state climatologist Mike Anderson told the Times.
While we’re happy for a little splash of rain down here in Southern California, the storm is really doing damage as it continues beating down on areas like Northern California wine country. Sonoma County officials have issued evacuation orders for hundreds of residents and there are reports of some crops being wiped out as the the Napa and Russian Rivers create immediate flooding threats in that region.
Down here, wet weather is expected to continue into Thursday, accumulating up to about 3/4 of an inch of rain. That would be on top of the 7.21 inches Los Angeles has recorded since October 1, which is already almost 146 percent the 30-year average level for that time period.
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