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Where's That Ultra Wet Winter We Were Waiting For?
A rainbow appears following a brief rain in Solvang, California on November 16, 2023, in Solvang, California.
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Southern California’s latest storm has brought some much needed rain, with the San Gabriel Mountains seeing roughly 2 inches and urban spots like downtown L.A. recording about an inch and a half.
Downed trees, debris in roads and urban flooding were reported, but otherwise it seems we made it through without any catastrophic disruptions. A flood watch remains in effect for Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties into Monday night.
Temperatures will climb to 4 to 8 degrees above normal across SoCal in the coming days.
Before this, L.A. was about 3-and-a-half inches behind its historic rainfall average, and it’s unclear if this mild showing is enough to help us catch up.
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Local rainfall totals are particularly important when it comes to both filling local stores of water, and soil moisture, which is critical for keeping vegetation healthy especially in the hot months.
When it comes to water availability later in the year, it’s reservoir levels, as well as snowpack in the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado River Basin, that we’re watching.
While major reservoirs are at 115% of average across the state, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is only at about 55% of normal for this date. Over in the Upper Colorado River Basin, snow levels are around 90% of normal.
Precipitation is only at about 76% of normal for this date across the entirety of the state.
Even though a strong El Niño has persisted, this less-than-average showing of rain in SoCal is exactly why we always say that there are no guarantees when it comes to precipitation, even during an El Niño year.
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