Some wet years and recent winter storms have helped bring the state out of drought after years of insufficient rainfall

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.

  • zd9@lemmy.world
    26·
    2 days ago

    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

    • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
      191·
      2 days ago

      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.

        • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
          61·
          2 days ago

          You’re on Lemmy everyone here is a wee bit autistic. And not in a quirky sorta way but in a this site may actually function as a raw point towards autism.

          • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
            3·
            2 days ago

            I actually did detect the sarcasm but I was responding to the attitude they were making fun of. Which is still my autism showing, as you called out, just the extreme opposite end of the spectrum!

      • anomnom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        Yeah even the Midwest and north east were in drought this summer and fall.

        Good for California for now, I’m not sure there is any reason to think it will last though.

  • mesa@piefed.socialEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    We have had 2 years of quite a bit of rain!

    And there are projections of more rain if the jetstream gets weaker…which is bad for the rest of the world, but extremely good for cali. Im having a hard time finding the article from last year, but its certainly interesting to think about.

  • jaykrown@lemmy.world
    4·
    2 days ago

    Reminds me of Blade Runner where it’s always raining in Los Angeles. Funny the original was set to be 2019.

    • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
      3·
      2 days ago

      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.

      • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        2 days ago

        Its been super mild here in the PNW this winter. Not a lot of rain outside of some specific instances a few weeks ago which lead to flooding and the temps have only dipped into the 30’s a few times.