Monday, February 24, 2020

California Trending Back Toward Drought Condition

This wouldn't be worth mentioning in August but in February, part of California's wet season, it might be a portent.
First up, from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln the most recent Drought Monitor Map:

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/png/20200218/20200218_usdm.png

And commentary:
This Week's Drought Summary
With high pressure anchored over the eastern Pacific Ocean, storm systems bypassed California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, instead tracking either northward into the Pacific Northwest or southward across Baja California and into the southern Rockies. Once they reached the Nation’s mid-section, ample Gulf moisture was incorporated into the storm systems, generating widespread showers and thunderstorms in the South and Southeast, along with mixed or frozen precipitation in more northern locales....MUCH MORE
For agricultural purposes we prefer the Palmer Drought Index:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-content/temp-and-precip/drought/weekly-palmers/2020/phd20200215-pg.gif
Finally, from the National Weather Service California-Nevada River Forecast Center: