Record Rain, Snow Won’t Erase Drought, Yet

With all the heavy rain in the Bay Area and the record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada mountains, you might think that California is completely out of its drought. 

But, according to the National Weather Service and local weather experts, we are not completely out of this dry spell just yet. In terms of statewide precipitation, 2021 is ending up as the second driest year since 1924, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Based on the same data, 2020 was California’s fifth driest year. 

But what about the recent downpours and snow that blanketed Tahoe and other regions? Since Christmas, snow levels reached record levels at several ski locations including NorthStar (117 inches) and Diamond Peak (102 inches). Homewood Mountain, on the western shore of Lake Tahoe, picked up 3 feet of snow in 24 hours through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

“The record rainfall in October and historic December snowpack accumulations have offered a nice start to the Water Year, adding to California’s seasonal snowpack as well as additional runoff to our parched streams and reservoirs,” said California Department of Water Resources spokesperson, Akiela Moses. “Currently, California’s snow accumulations are at 52 percent of seasonal average and about 159 percent of average for this date. While this provides a glimmer of hope, more storms will be needed as we move through the winter season.” 

In early to mid-December, rainfall averaged more than 150 percent of normal across much of California along with western areas of Oregon and Washington. The California Department of Water Resources also noted that the amount of water coming from snowmelt statewide is 93 percent of normal. During the past two weeks, temperatures have averaged 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit below normal which has contributed to the favorable snow water content numbers through mid-December.

However, the overall temperatures in California are only enough to drop the drought awareness slightly in our current "extreme drought" and only north of San Francisco. The wet and snowy weather did make a dent in southern Nevada and southeastern California, which was under "exceptional drought" conditions. The warmer temperatures also mean the water may not be able to fill the state’s reservoirs. As of Monday, Folsom Lake is 58% full for its capacity, which is 142% of its historical average for this year. But Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville are far below capacity and sit between 50% and 71% of their historical averages respectively.

“The warming and dryness that has occurred over the past decade mean that we’ve had much less accumulated precipitation over the past few years than we would normally receive,” Moses said. “Additionally, soils have been particularly dry, and we cannot fix this condition with only one or two storms. These early-season storms and the record-breaking atmospheric river that we saw in October helped alleviate the dry soils that absorbed much of the snowmelt in the last two dry years. While this is a great start to the Water Year and much needed, we still have the remainder of our wettest months historically ahead of us. It is crucial that we get rain and snow during those months – January and February - to truly ease drought impacts.” 

Back in April 2021, EBMUD (East Bay Regional Municipal Utility District) declared a Stage 1 drought and called on the community to reduce home water consumption by 10 percent. That call for savings is not expected to be lifted until another round of measurements is taken in mid-January.

Till then, EBMUD suggests residents reduce outdoor water use including watering early in the morning and watering no more than three times a week. Watering at dawn reduces evaporation and helps eliminate runoff, EBMUD says. You can also make your yard drought-ready by investing in long-term drought resilience by swapping out thirsty plants and updating inefficient irrigation equipment.

Indoors, EBMUD suggests updating any inefficient indoor fixtures like faucets and showerheads that might be wasting water. You can also look for leaks as toilets and irrigation leaks are to blame for most high bills, and they often go undetected.