Unprecedented Severe Storms Batter California
April 4, 2023
Over six hundred inches of snow sit at the summit of Mammoth Mountain in California. Los Angeles has already surpassed the average rain season accumulation by twelve inches. Record-breaking rainfall is crippling Santa Clara. California has seen unprecedented precipitation levels this winter, and experts believe the worst is yet to come.
Historic storms have been pounding the state of California since mid-December with no end in sight. Meteorologists chock it up to “atmospheric rivers”- long, winding streams in the atmosphere that carry moisture from the tropics northwards. When these rivers make landfall, the water vapor is released, resulting in heavy rain or snow. Atmospheric rivers have always existed, but their presence has increased in the Western U.S. this winter.
Not only is the precipitation itself hampering daily life in California, but its effects are even worse. On Friday, March 10, a levee on the Pajaro River in central California broke, flooding the cities around it. Over 8,500 people were rescued and hundreds of homes were underwater, according to PBS. Officials warn that river levels all over the state are rising to extremely dangerous peaks that could prove deadly to many.
Along with river levels rising, precipitation may cause issues months after it falls. A report by Newsweek says that California may face issues in the spring as the snow melts from the Sierra Nevadas. Water will flow down the steep slopes, flooding areas and causing mudslides at the base of the mountains.
Rick Hugener, earth science and meteorology teacher at Portsmouth High School, thinks it’s too early to officially determine whether this severe weather can be accredited to climate change.
“Hotter air can hold more water and promote more evaporation which makes storms more intense,” said Hugener. “Global wind patterns could also shift to bring more of this moisture to California. However, there isn’t any concrete evidence or research yet to link what is happening in California this year to climate change. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a link, just not one proven yet.”
Scientists believe that we will start to see more of this severe weather as the climate gets warmer. “Higher temperatures… allow the atmosphere to hold more water vapor, leading to more intense storms,” said Tom Corringham, researcher at UC San Diego, in an interview with Newsweek.
Sources:
Accuweather: https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/storms-continue-to-hound-california-with-flooding-rain-mountain-snow/1499615
Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/california-extreme-weather-normal-1789458
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/03/01/snowfall-totals-california/11366374002/
