Beneficial rain to quench parched Northern Calif., Oregon
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 9, 2020 10:38 AM EDT
Dense fog filled the valleys of Yellowstone National Park on May 8, creating a spooky atmosphere.
An abnormally dry and warm spring has led to widespread drought across Northern California and Oregon, but beneficial rain is expected to help quench the parched area this week.
Much of Northern California is currently experiencing moderate-to-severe drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Two Californian counties—Siskiyou and Trinity—are even in the midst of extreme drought, which is the second highest category assigned by the Drought Monitor.
Many Northern California climate stations have chronicled just how abnormally dry and warm of a spring the area has experienced thus far.
The climate station in Crescent City, California, has not recorded more than 40 percent of its normal monthly precipitation since January. In April, the city received just 36 percent of its normal precipitation. As of May 10, Crescent City has recorded 25 percent of its normal monthly precipitation.
Farther north into Oregon, the warm and dry conditions are even more apparent. Medford, Oregon, recorded just 33 percent of its normal precipitation in April and ended the month 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average. As of May 10, Medford has only received 4 percent of its monthly precipitation and is already 4 degrees warmer than average.
The persistent upper-level atmospheric pattern that has locked heat into the region and moisture out has finally begun to change, allowing temperatures to relax and a storm system to approach the Pacific coast early this week.
A cold front associated with the leading edge of this storm will dig into Northern California and Oregon by late Monday and usher in the first round of rain and showers to the area.
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This storm will be slow to move through the region. The bulk of the steadiest rain is expected to fall on Tuesday in a swath encompassing an area from Northern California to Washington.
Rain will taper to showers across the same area on Wednesday as the storm continues to slowly push eastward.
“Crescent City, California, southward to Arcata and Eureka, California, could see over an inch of rainfall through Wednesday as the storm brings in an onshore flow of moisture from the Pacific,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
Much of Northern California and Oregon, can expect periods of steady, but not particularly heavy or flooding rain with this multi-day storm.
A few areas from the Coastal Range to Mt. Shasta can experience periods of heavier rain due to upsloping from onshore flow. Areas where upsloping occurs can receive upwards of 2 inches of rain over the duration of the event.
Even some high-elevation snow is not out of the question with this system as temperatures trend lower this week. However, snow levels are generally forecast to remain above pass levels and are not expected to hinder essential travel.
Unfortunately, not all areas will experience drought relief equally.
“The drought relief will not be as great in the Bay Area, where the bulk of the storm’s moisture will remain just to the north,” Pydynowski said.
While rain from this storm system is not expected to completely eliminate drought conditions or fully make up lost ground in terms of average spring precipitation, it will help to add to reservoirs critical to the California water supply.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state receives 75 percent of its rain and snow in the watersheds north of Sacramento, while 80 percent of the state's water demands come from the southern two-thirds of the state.
It is crucial that California receives enough precipitation over the winter and spring so that the state's water resources are not stressed during the driest period of the year--mid- to late summer.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Beneficial rain to quench parched Northern Calif., Oregon
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 9, 2020 10:38 AM EDT
Dense fog filled the valleys of Yellowstone National Park on May 8, creating a spooky atmosphere.
An abnormally dry and warm spring has led to widespread drought across Northern California and Oregon, but beneficial rain is expected to help quench the parched area this week.
Much of Northern California is currently experiencing moderate-to-severe drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Two Californian counties—Siskiyou and Trinity—are even in the midst of extreme drought, which is the second highest category assigned by the Drought Monitor.
Many Northern California climate stations have chronicled just how abnormally dry and warm of a spring the area has experienced thus far.
The climate station in Crescent City, California, has not recorded more than 40 percent of its normal monthly precipitation since January. In April, the city received just 36 percent of its normal precipitation. As of May 10, Crescent City has recorded 25 percent of its normal monthly precipitation.
Farther north into Oregon, the warm and dry conditions are even more apparent. Medford, Oregon, recorded just 33 percent of its normal precipitation in April and ended the month 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average. As of May 10, Medford has only received 4 percent of its monthly precipitation and is already 4 degrees warmer than average.
The persistent upper-level atmospheric pattern that has locked heat into the region and moisture out has finally begun to change, allowing temperatures to relax and a storm system to approach the Pacific coast early this week.
A cold front associated with the leading edge of this storm will dig into Northern California and Oregon by late Monday and usher in the first round of rain and showers to the area.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
This storm will be slow to move through the region. The bulk of the steadiest rain is expected to fall on Tuesday in a swath encompassing an area from Northern California to Washington.
Rain will taper to showers across the same area on Wednesday as the storm continues to slowly push eastward.
“Crescent City, California, southward to Arcata and Eureka, California, could see over an inch of rainfall through Wednesday as the storm brings in an onshore flow of moisture from the Pacific,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
Much of Northern California and Oregon, can expect periods of steady, but not particularly heavy or flooding rain with this multi-day storm.
A few areas from the Coastal Range to Mt. Shasta can experience periods of heavier rain due to upsloping from onshore flow. Areas where upsloping occurs can receive upwards of 2 inches of rain over the duration of the event.
Even some high-elevation snow is not out of the question with this system as temperatures trend lower this week. However, snow levels are generally forecast to remain above pass levels and are not expected to hinder essential travel.
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Unfortunately, not all areas will experience drought relief equally.
“The drought relief will not be as great in the Bay Area, where the bulk of the storm’s moisture will remain just to the north,” Pydynowski said.
While rain from this storm system is not expected to completely eliminate drought conditions or fully make up lost ground in terms of average spring precipitation, it will help to add to reservoirs critical to the California water supply.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state receives 75 percent of its rain and snow in the watersheds north of Sacramento, while 80 percent of the state's water demands come from the southern two-thirds of the state.
It is crucial that California receives enough precipitation over the winter and spring so that the state's water resources are not stressed during the driest period of the year--mid- to late summer.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo