Monday, October 17, 2016
This past weekend saw the season’s first storms for the Bay Area. Multiple storms passed through the region, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall for different parts of the Bay Area from late Thursday to well into Sunday. Some cities, such as Oakland, Concord, and Hayward, received enough rain to exceed their average for the entire month of October. Luckily, our reservoirs had plenty of room to accommodate runoff from these series of storms.
October 14-16, 2016: Oakland, Concord, and Hayward received rainfall above average for entire month of October. Source: KGO-TV.
Still, it is important to stay conservation-minded. The state is at 30% of the average amount of rainfall from October 1st through October 12th. Central and Southern California fell even further behind at 0% for the San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Basin, respectively.
California drought conditions as of October 4, 2016. Source: drought monitor.unl.edu/
There is still uncertainty on whether California will be entering a 6th year of drought. Even if precipitation for the 2017 water year is average, we will still see effects accumulated from previous dry years. Snowpack was not expected to increase from the weekend’s storms due to the relatively warm temperatures. Snow surveys scheduled to begin in early January 2017 will provide a better idea of California’s drought conditions.
Have you seen our daily California Water & Drought News postings on our front page? BPC recognizes the significant role that water resources has had and will continue to have in California for the well-being of our environment and our economy. Stay with us as we bring you more news and events on California’s drought and its effects to the San Francisco Bay region.
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“The Bay Planning Coalition is a non-profit organization well known for its advocacy and credibility in the San Francisco Bay Area corporate and environmental community. When we speak about an issue, legislators and regulators listen.” – John A. Coleman, CEO
Tags: California, drought
