cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/53172375
California is completely drought-free for the first time in a quarter of a century, a significant development in a state that endured grueling years with insufficient rainfall.
Over the last 25 years, drought conditions in California have intensified the state’s wildfire crisis and created challenges in its massive agricultural sector. But a few wet years, and a recent spate of winter storms, helped bring the state out of drought.
A map published by the US Drought Monitor on Thursday showed that no part of the state is experiencing drought or abnormal dryness. The development came after weeks of above-normal rainfall that helped fill reservoirs in the state, including lakes Shasta and Oroville, far beyond their historic averages. The December holiday season has been one of the wettest on record for parts of southern California.
In 2005 and 2011, the state saw periods with less than 1% of abnormal dryness, noted the National Drought Mitigation Center, the academic partner of the US Drought Monitor.
This news marks the first time since the year 2000 that not a single square mile of California is dry on the US Drought Monitor, Drew Tuma, an ABC7 meteorologist, said in a post on social media.
Oh cool, so we beat climate change!
It’s like that fucking idiot congressman who brought a snowball into session to say that climate change was a hoax lol
More like “climate changed in your favor”. Sure the drought is over, but it had to be ended with severe flooding, which brings its own issues. The timing is convenient for this one state, but it’s IMO a bit disingenuous to frame things as positive.
Meanwhile, in my part of the world, we’ve been in an extreme drought for an unprecedented amount of time. Any longer and the ecosystems and landscape will start to change.
…could you not see how sarcastic my comment is?
Oh, sarcasm detected. Responding correctly is a whole different matter
Reminds me of Blade Runner where it’s always raining in Los Angeles. Funny the original was set to be 2019.
An impressive feat for the state.
The last few years California has been hit by the atmospheric rivers that once blanketed the PNW 8 months out of the year. The result is the cyclical droughts have vanished and this is the 3rd year in a row California has been drought free in all parts of the state. Even the Eastern Sierra and Central Valley too.
Climate change is real but not bad for all places. The climate is shifting.