California was exposed to 78 trillion gallons of water this historic winter, enough to fill Lake Tahoe twice or 110 million Olympic pools.
Statewide, residents saw nearly 28 inches of rain, plus the equivalent of snow water—the amount of rainwater that would have amounted as well if it wasn’t solid—between October 1 to March 20.
Despite the amount of water that could fill a rose bowl 900,000 times, it’s not the wettest winter California has ever seen. The Golden State experienced the most rainfall between 1982 and 1983 with an average of 42.81 inches, according to California climatologist Michael Anderson.
However, it is roughly 25 trillion gallons more than the annual average of 52 trillion, or 18.6 inches.
In addition, some higher altitude cities got about 58 feet of snow, or nearly 700 inches, according to the National Weather Service. USA Today.
California was hit with 78 trillion gallons of water during this historic winter, enough to fill Lake Tahoe twice or 110 million Olympic-sized pools (Pictured: Kernville March 10)
Statewide, residents saw nearly 28 inches of rain, plus the equivalent of snow water between Oct. 1 and March 20 (pictured: San Joaquin County on March 21).
Despite the amount of water that could fill a rose bowl 900,000 times, it’s not the wettest winter California has ever seen. The Golden State saw the most rain between 1982 and 1983 with an average of 42.81 inches (pictured: Pajaro on March 14)
San Francisco experienced hurricane-force winds last week as the state was hit by 12 storms
The amount of snow is equal to three giraffes piled on top of each other, said Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce.
Snow Lab in the Central Sierra recorded 57 feet of snow. The average is 30 ft.
The water content level in the Central Sierra snowpack is nearly 235 percent lower than the April 1 average, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
With all the extra rain from the 12 atmospheric storms that hit the state and the extra snowfall, California is getting less severely affected by the drought. In January, Golden State’s drought level was 100 percent, while now it’s only 36 percent, according to US Drought Monitor.
In addition, some of the higher-altitude towns got about 58 feet of snow, or nearly 700 inches, and were surrounded by high snow basins (Pictured: Lake Tahoe)
Snow Lab in the Central Sierra recorded 57 feet of snow. The average is 30 feet (pictured: Mammoth Lakes on March 29)
More snow is expected at higher elevations, such as Mammoth Lakes, from Wednesday through Friday
Obviously, the amount of water that fell this year has greatly alleviated the drought. It’s not quite over the drought, but we’re in a very different place than we were a year ago, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said, according to USA Today.
Earlier this month, Kernville was badly hit by flooding, and video showed homes and playgrounds surrounded by rushing water, while Lake Tahoe residents were stranded and surrounded by a thick blizzard that reached their rooftops.
San Francisco was hit by hurricane-force winds that knocked out power to more than 230,000 people. At least one person has died after gusts — reaching upwards of 78 miles per hour — knocked down a tree near Portola Valley.
This week’s storm could bring more flooding to the state, which is still recovering from flooding (pictured: Corcoran on March 29)
A car traverses high water in Corcoran on March 29
California is again preparing for another storm, which is expected to continue through Wednesday and continue into Friday.
It will greatly affect higher altitude areas and can bring excessive runoff and flooding. Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada can reach three feet.
The high winds are expected to affect much of California, Nevada, southern Oregon and northwestern Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. NPR. The Northern Rockies can expect temperatures to be in the high 30s and 40s, while the rest of California will be in the 50s.
Due to excessive weather, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a presidential declaration of major disaster. If accepted, it would help the residents who had been damaged by storms to get help.
