Weather, California Rainfall Record Thanks to Atmospheric River: Help Against Drought and Fire

strong one atmospheric river Drove high rain in a California Sunday 24 and Monday 25 October, which helps alleviate drought conditions in some areas. NOAA describes an atmospheric river as “A long, narrow band of very moist air that moves through the atmosphere and typically forms over the North Pacific Ocean“.

When the Atmospheric River reached California, the authorities’ fears quickly turned from wildfires to flooding. The flood that California received restored life in streams and waterfalls, even covering its mountains Noun and help put out fires. The system weakened as it moved south but dumped enough rain to cause brakes That closed roads in the San Bernardino Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles. In the northern sector of the state, heavy rains caused widespread Flood And landslides over the weekend. Many trees were cut down by strong winds (see photo in sliding portico above). Pacific Gas & Electric reported it 380,000 homes and businesses They were left without electricity.

Despite the problems arising, rain and snow were welcome in Northern California, where it was so dry that almost all of it is affected by severe or exceptional drought. The rain has also reduced the chances of more fires in an area that has suffered the worst of another devastating year when it comes to fires.

The National Weather Service (NWS) determines the total rainfall amounts”Embarrassed“, With 280 mm At the foot of Mount Tamalpais, in Marin County, H 100 mm In San Francisco, it’s the city’s fourth rainiest day. In Sacramento, northeast of San Francisco, they fell 138.2 mmthat broke the record for rainfall in a day since 1880. Almost along the central coast 137.2 mm From rain at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

In Southern California, they fell 27,9mm in Beverly Hills. Interstate 80, the major highway that crosses the Sierra Nevada into Reno, Nevada, was closed due to heavy snow on Monday. In Colusa and Yolo counties, state roads 16 and 20 were closed for several kilometers due to landslides.

Lake Oroville, a large basin in northern California, has seen its water level rise by 6.10 meters over the past week: most of the increase came between Saturday 23 and Monday 25 October, during the storm’s height.

Although the rains have been impressive, California is facing a severe drought, so authorities say more rain is needed to have a significant impact.

The same system has also affected the states of Oregon and Washington, causing blackouts that affected tens of thousands of people. Two people died when a tree fell on a car in the Seattle area.