Is California in a drought right now 2020?
Key Points. California and Nevada saw drought expand and worsen in 2020 as dry conditions built over the last year. Below-average precipitation, including a weak monsoon, and above-normal temperatures and evaporative demand intensified drought conditions and brought a record-breaking wildfire season.
Is CA still in drought 2021?
Warm temperatures in California this April and early May have made 2021 a critically dry year. Snow melted and runoff evaporated at a faster rate in the Sacramento, Feather, and American River watersheds. The state continues to track drought conditions.
What phase of the PDO is occurring so far in 2021?
cool phase
Dr. Nate Mantua, PDO Expert at the NOAA/NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center reports that the March 2021 Pacific decadal oscillation index was -1.17 which represents moderate-to-strong cool phase.
Is CA in a drought again?
The first two months of 2022 are shaping up to be the driest January and February in California history, prompting state officials to warn of dire water conditions ahead. “There’s no precipitation forecast through the remainder of February.
How long does Pacific Decadal Oscillation last?
20 to 30 years
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a pattern of Pacific climate variability similar to ENSO in character, but which varies over a much longer time scale. The PDO can remain in the same phase for 20 to 30 years, while ENSO cycles typically only last 6 to 18 months.
Is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation real?
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a long-term ocean fluctuation of the Pacific Ocean. The PDO waxes and wanes approximately every 20 to 30 years. From ocean surface topography data, together with other ocean and atmospheric data, scientists can determine whether we are in a ‘cool’ phase or a ‘warm’ phase.
Is California still in a drought 2022?
Unfortunately, with March coming to a close and no storms on the horizon, we can say with near certainty that California’s drought in 2022 will keep getting worse. For more: Why Californians have been saving less water in 2022.
Is the rain helping the drought in California?
Many parts of California and the West received beneficial precipitation with the storm, but it was not enough to bring substantial relief from stubborn drought conditions, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, which showed that extreme drought expanded in parts of the state.
Is CA in a drought 2022?
Escriva-Bou said two-year droughts are relatively normal in California, but 2020 and 2021 were exceptionally hot and dry — a difficult lead-in for 2022. “The situation this year is going to be much worse than last year,” he said. “The cumulative impact of a third year of drought makes it much more difficult to manage.”