Nearly 100 percent of the state has been classified as being free of drought. This has been a result of one of the wettest winters that has replenished lakes, reservoirs throughout the state.
A first in 7 years – California has been officially declared drought-free.
In turn, the most beautiful flora has emerged all because of an unusually abundant winter with heavy rain and snow fall.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest survey, “There has been an extraordinary turnaround from the dire and prolonged spells of dry weather that had been the norm in recent years in the state.”
These same dry spells have wreaked absolute havoc on irrigation supplies to farmers and vegetation, causing strict water restrictions throughout households. Along with that came a spate of disastrous wildfires.
Not all of the state have however joined in on the party. A smallish patch of the southernmost region including the majority of San Diego County are still buttoned up and are currently labeled “abnormally dry” on the drought map index. The Oregon border is also still in a threatening state.
This is a first since December 2011 and nearly 100% of the state has been declared drought-free. Additionally, most of California has been declared “normal”. Just a year ago marked 70% of the state as still being moderately to severely under pressure from the drought, so the latest findings have sparked quite an abundance of joy among residents.
The crucial factor in all of this was the last winter season, one of the wettest recorded in the state. All thanks to a few Pacific storms that have successfully replenished lakes and reservoirs. Also, this has left the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack with a well above normal supply of fresh surface water. The LA Times reported an approximate 580 Billion gallons of water have been added to reservoirs across state.
“Reservoirs are full, lakes are full, streams are flowing and there’s tons of snow,” said jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with the National Climatic Data Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She further confirmed, “All the drought is officially gone.” In fact, the snowpack levels have doubled up in February alone.
3 years ago marked the snowpack reserve being at almost zero.
Jerry Brown, the Governor in 2017 has since rescinded a drought declaration after record breaking rainfall.
Experts agree that these swings in weather patterns are all in the era of climate change. “Dry conditions can easily creep back in,” Jessica Blunden, added.
With the assistance of well above average precipitation this last winter, drought conditions have much been eased throughout the region.
Bare in mind though that will restored snowpacks come potential avalanches.
The resulting widespread bloom and tremendous growth of vegetation is beauty like never seen before. With residents flocking in from all over the state, posting the most beautiful flower filled meadows and rolling hills. Sue Hamel has highlighted on Twitter how after crippling fires and the driest period ever, this blessing of winter rains has led to “a gloriously display of Springtime Wild Flowers.”
Another Twitter handle by the name California Snowflake wrote: “The California drought is officially OVER! CA is free of drought for the first time in more than 7 years and only a small amount of its territory remains dry as a very wet winter winds down, experts are reporting. The California bloom is real. Time to celebrate the new Spring!” A native of California state, Kevin Waggoner also pointed out on Twitter: “If I had one good thing to say about my state (California) it would have to be our rare superbloom.”
He added: “We have just been officially declared drought free and was blessed with a superbloom we only see once every decade in a matter of a few years of the last. Yet another Twitter handle, LUVKHMER wrote: Blooming season is arriving right in the yard of Angkorborie Temple in Central California. Very beautiful when ones observing closer to the flowers.”
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To0n1 on April 15th, 2019 at 15:29 UTC »
I live in Riverside, CA and our hills aroud us turned really verdant and had blooms of poppy and lilac. The problem is those blooms are slowly dying and pretty soon those hills are gonna be their normal brown, which kinda worries me.
2dP_rdg on April 15th, 2019 at 13:57 UTC »
Wife and I just drove from Napa to San Diego along the coast and could not believe how *green* the state was compared to the last decade of trips.
totesmygto on April 15th, 2019 at 13:45 UTC »
I’ve got good news... and bad news. The good, most of Cali is drought free, beautifully green and blooming. The bad... hell hath no fury like the massive wildfire incoming when this drys out later this summer. I hope I’m wrong. But...