California Drought

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I think the moisture is following me around. Everywhere I go it's raining like crazy. Anyone else from drought stricken area wants to encourage me to move there?
 
Here in Western Oklahoma it started raining early Friday, it is pouring outside currently and it is predicted to continue raining through Tuesday then restart Thursday next week.

Six or so years ago we had heavy rains that continued well into July that completely wiped out that years wheat crop.
Wheat has to dry to a certain level before it can be harvested and that year in never could reach that level.
You could drive around in wheat country and smell it fermenting in the fields.
For the sake of the farmers, and bread prices for everyone, I hope we’re not having a repeat of that.

Our towns local lake has risen six feet since the beginning of April and Foss and Altus reservoirs have risen as much as 13 feet.
Still well below where we would all like them to be but much, much better than they were and with more rain on the way they could gain another half dozen feet before summer arrives.
At the very least the boat ramps now actually reach the water
 
boomtube-mk2 said:
Here in Western Oklahoma it started raining early Friday, it is pouring outside currently and it is predicted to continue raining through Tuesday then restart Thursday next week.

Six or so years ago we had heavy rains that continued well into July that completely wiped out that years wheat crop.
Wheat has to dry to a certain level before it can be harvested and that year in never could reach that level.
You could drive around in wheat country and smell it fermenting in the fields.
For the sake of the farmers, and bread prices for everyone, I hope we’re not having a repeat of that.

Our towns local lake has risen six feet since the beginning of April and Foss and Altus reservoirs have risen as much as 13 feet.
Still well below where we would all like them to be but much, much better than they were and with more rain on the way they could gain another half dozen feet before summer arrives.
At the very least the boat ramps now actually reach the water
Click to expand...

If there is fish in those bodies of water, how does the low level effect them and fishing?
Does your state regularly plant your bodies of water? Here in Michigan they have annual plants of trout, salmon and a veriety of smaller species.
When I was a kid, our license plates use to say "Winter Wonder Land".
They no longer say that, unfortunately. I miss the heavy winters, and the wash outs due to spring melts. It's what made MI, MI and a tribute to many habitats.
 
This is the future for California...

At least the Delta Smelt will survive...

California 2016.jpg
 
KidRockET said:
At least the Delta Smelt will survive...
Click to expand...

The Delta Smelt gets a lot of undeserved hate from people who don’t understand what that little fishy represents.
The Delta Smelt is the “Canary in the coal mine” with regards to the saline and pollution, content of the delta’s waters.
If water flow into the delta drops below a critical level then you will get saltwater incursion further and further inland until eventually everything that is dependent on fresh water; be it bird, fish, plant, amphibian etc. dies.
And the first to go will be the Delta Smelt but it won’t be the last.
 
boomtube-mk2 said:
The Delta Smelt gets a lot of undeserved hate from people who don’t understand what that little fishy represents.
The Delta Smelt is the “Canary in the coal mine” with regards to the saline and pollution, content of the delta’s waters.
If water flow into the delta drops below a critical level then you will get saltwater incursion further and further inland until eventually everything that is dependent on fresh water; be it bird, fish, plant, amphibian etc. dies.
And the first to go will be the Delta Smelt but it won’t be the last.
Click to expand...

And this is a large reason why the delta has salt incursion. It isn't per-se the drought. :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta–Mendota_Canal
 
H_Rocket said:
I have been to CA. several times and for so many reasons ask myself as I leave:

"Why does anyone want to live there?"
Click to expand...

I wouldn't want to change your mind, because the biggest problem with this state is that SO MANY people want to live here. Why do they want to live here?

Pleasant weather
beautiful beaches and coastline
dramatic mountains
Deep forests
Intersting deserts
fertile farmland
great jobs
diverse and creative culture
Few bugs

It's a pretty nice place to live. There aren't many places with as much variety and interest packed into one spot as there is in California. I moved to the Bay Area for the career opportunities, and I really like it for a lot of other reasons now. I like a lot of outdoor activities. From where I live, I can get to the coast in an hour or less. Coastal range mountains are even closer. The sierras are about 3 hours. Redwoods a couple of hours. I live in an area considered to be "wine country," and there are a lot of other wine producing regions nearby. I can get into San Francisco in 40 minutes by light rail (BART).

The main drawbacks are high cost of living and too many people.

And there's also this drought thing...
 
Yeah I get most of your reasons. It is just a case of the high potency bleah outweighing all the niceties. Of course every place can be described that way in some fashion or another.
 
All your reasons for me living in California, but it comes at a high cost. Wife and I both have to work long hours. It seems that we are always on the go and never have time to slow down to enjoy anything really.
 
Woody's Workshop said:
The only thing in CA I would be interested in would be bikini watching at the beach on a bar stool.
Click to expand...
Nothing scares off wild herds of bikinis like a barstool on the beach. Like any hunting, camoflage is required. Large beach towels. a cooler of Coronas (more experienced bikinis like Mojitos for bait) and coconut scent sun tan oil seems to work out pretty well...a couple of beach ball decoys will get them to land pretty close.
 
fyrwrxz said:
Nothing scares off wild herds of bikinis like a barstool on the beach. Like any hunting, camoflage is required. Large beach towels. a cooler of Coronas (more experienced bikinis like Mojitos for bait) and coconut scent sun tan oil seems to work out pretty well...a couple of beach ball decoys will get them to land pretty close.
Click to expand...

Try a surplus ammo box full of Ben Franklins. Works every time! :surprised:
 
Here it is the middle of July and we’re having a thunderstorm in Western Oklahoma bringing a bit more rain for this region.

Now the funny thing is; is that this is how I remember the weather/climate being way back in the late ‘60s early ‘70s when I visited this part of the country during summer vacations.
Hopefully this year’s weather/climate events are the beginning of a return to those days.

In addition to the above it has also been a relatively cool summer so far with virtually no 100+ degree days.
 
Lately, our weather has been more humid than usual and has been plenty hot. I was talking to my parents in San Diego yesterday and they were having rain! And the day before, it had absolutely poured (at least by so-cal standards). That is very unusual for Southern CA in the summer.

Apparently the El Nino pattern has definitely set up, and we are expected to get more humidity than usual as long as it lasts, maybe even all the way through the winter. There is a good chance it will bring more rain than usual to Southern CA, but it may not help Northern CA or the Pacific Northwest at all.

Something I read recently said that even if the El Nino brings plenty of rain, it is not likely to be helpful in terms of recharging the water supply systems. In other words, it may help in some localities, and it may help with non-irrigated agriculture, but it is not likely to provide much relief to irrigated agriculture or parched cities, because it will not be falling in a way that recharges our reservoirs and statewide water system.

The other long-term wildcard is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which looks like it is entering its decades long warm cycle. Too soon to say for sure, but it looks likely. The warm water in the northeastern Pacific is probably partly responsible for the droughts in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and is also probably the culprit for the super cold winters in the eastern half of the country.
 
Record breaking rain in the Los Angeles area and to the east, I-10 had been destroyed near "Desert Center". Those driving to NARAM need to head south on I-5 or I-15 and then head east on I-8.



ThirstyBarbarian said:
Lately, our weather has been more humid than usual and has been plenty hot. I was talking to my parents in San Diego yesterday and they were having rain! And the day before, it had absolutely poured (at least by so-cal standards). That is very unusual for Southern CA in the summer.

Apparently the El Nino pattern has definitely set up, and we are expected to get more humidity than usual as long as it lasts, maybe even all the way through the winter. There is a good chance it will bring more rain than usual to Southern CA, but it may not help Northern CA or the Pacific Northwest at all.

Something I read recently said that even if the El Nino brings plenty of rain, it is not likely to be helpful in terms of recharging the water supply systems. In other words, it may help in some localities, and it may help with non-irrigated agriculture, but it is not likely to provide much relief to irrigated agriculture or parched cities, because it will not be falling in a way that recharges our reservoirs and statewide water system.

The other long-term wildcard is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which looks like it is entering its decades long warm cycle. Too soon to say for sure, but it looks likely. The warm water in the northeastern Pacific is probably partly responsible for the droughts in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and is also probably the culprit for the super cold winters in the eastern half of the country.
Click to expand...
 
I keep thinking it's cooler than usual, but a look at historic temps shows 88F average high for July. I do know that we haven't had as many 100+ degree days this year as we have in the past. It was 75F and 52% at 7AM in the garage this morning. It usually isn't that hot AND humid at the same time here. It's either really hot and dry (90+/20%) during the day or cool and humid at night(low 60s/75%).
 
ChrisAttebery said:
I keep thinking it's cooler than usual, but a look at historic temps shows 88F average high for July. I do know that we haven't had as many 100+ degree days this year as we have in the past. It was 75F and 52% at 7AM in the garage this morning. It usually isn't that hot AND humid at the same time here. It's either really hot and dry (90+/20%) during the day or cool and humid at night(low 60s/75%).
Click to expand...

I think part of it is an illusion. Locally, I feel like we've been getting more overcast or cloudy days than usual, but the weather is still warm or hot. Typically, in CA, if it is cloudy, it is cool. So if you are inside in an air-conditioned environment, look outside and see clouds or overcast, it looks like a cool day. Then when you actually step outside --- gaaaahhhh, it's HOT!

I don't know if it is true locally, but globally, 2015 is on pace to be the hottest year on record, beating the previous hottest year, which was last year... which beat 2010, which beat 2005, which beat 1998...
 

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