Will it ever rain again?

[Shaggy]

Forecast for the next 10 days still shows no rain. Accuweather says it might rain on January 29th, but I have doubts about the ability to forecast that far out.

My in-laws up in Mendocino say their neighbors are having to bring in water from outside the area because wells are drying up and people with livestock are running out of water for their animals.

Scary times...

 

[UDRider]

We are so fucked.

 

[Archimedes]

Of course not, because I committed early to season ski passes, condo rentals, new gear for the kids, etc.

 

[MikeyRocks]

Of course not, because I committed early to season ski passes, condo rentals, new gear for the kids, etc.

Another disappointed pass holder here. I went to Heavenly and Kirkwood this weekend. Few inches of fresh powder was great, and conditions weren't that bad considering we haven't seen a heavy dump since mid-November. They desperately need another storm if they want to open up more terrain.

 

[westie]

I know if I wash my truck it will rain.

 

[Bay Arean]

Forecast for the next 10 days still shows no rain. Accuweather says it might rain on January 29th, but I have doubts about the ability to forecast that far out.

My in-laws up in Mendocino say their neighbors are having to bring in water from outside the area because wells are drying up and people with livestock are running out of water for their animals.

Scary times...

The neighbors could be my family because thats exactly what's happening. We are trucking in water because the creeks are all dry and pondering selling much of the herd. Desperately waiting for rain; and a bit fell on Saturday up there. We have cattle in Mendo, Lake and Colusa counties, all is parched.


We have these cycles and I am now old enough to have lived through several of them. About three or four years or so ago we had so much rain that every creek, river, pond and lake was brimming. I think SF was 157% of normal. I remember that to keep it in perspective. We live in a Mediterranean climate and are at the mercy of giant systems.
We had a big drought in the late 70s and it was terrible. But, in that time, despite a larger population, people have gotten much thriftier with water-savin' toilets, drought landscaping etc.

We just have to wait it out. It will rain again and we will come back incrementally more respectful of rain and the life it brings. Sure sucks now in lotsa different annoying ways.. For example, winter allergy sufferers like me. I depend on frequent rains to wash all the winter pollen from non-native species, like f#ckin Acacia trees, out of the air. Not lookin' good.

 

[eric9877]

I went for an MTB ride at Joaquin Miller when I was in town around new years and was afraid it might be too slick. It was too slick, but not from rain, but because it had dried out so badly and all the deadfall needles from the redwoods made it like riding in deep sand. My lungs were burning because the air was so dry. I was looking at moving back to Nor-Cal, but apparently I'll need even more Nor if I'm hoping for some precipitation.

 

[codger]

Well I dont belive it will you see our president has fugured out a way to capture our precipitation and he is selling it to the Arab counties! its all a ploy to tkae us down his plan is to help impoverished nations while dragging us down at the same time. See its really simple hey i blame everythign on him he whos name i vowed to never mention again in polite company. yes even the sink is more polite than my feelings for our leader.

 

[Hooli]

NO.

Now shut up, I want to ride every day.

 

[Agent Orange]

Another disappointed pass holder here. I went to Heavenly and Kirkwood this weekend. Few inches of fresh powder was great, and conditions weren't that bad considering we haven't seen a heavy dump since mid-November. They desperately need another storm if they want to open up more terrain.

At least you've went. I haven't even gone yet.

These pics were taken back in 2006 outside my house around this time.

.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

2006 was exactly the last time I remember that there was a lot of rain. Like 2 months straight around Feb, if not 3 months. Then of course it stopped as usual until Nov 2006.

yadda yadda yeah I know 2-3 winters ago there was a lot of snowfall. not as much evident rain as 2006 though.

Nick, I don't see the option, "Whatever, global warming is a conspiracy!!!"

My in-laws up in Mendocino say their neighbors are having to bring in water from outside the area because wells are drying up and people with livestock are running out of water for their animals.
...

that's pretty scary indeed..

 

[louemc]

The neighbors could be my family because thats exactly what's happening. We are trucking in water because the creeks are all dry and pondering selling much of the herd. Desperately waiting for rain; and a bit fell on Saturday up there. We have cattle in Mendo, Lake and Colusa counties, all is parched.


We have these cycles and I am now old enough to have lived through several of them. About three or four years or so ago we had so much rain that every creek, river, pond and lake was brimming. I think SF was 157% of normal. I remember that to keep it in perspective. We live in a Mediterranean climate and are at the mercy of giant systems.
We had a big drought in the late 70s and it was terrible. But, in that time, despite a larger population, people have gotten much thriftier with water-savin' toilets, drought landscaping etc.

We just have to wait it out. It will rain again and we will come back incrementally more respectful of rain and the life it brings. Sure sucks now in lotsa different annoying ways.. For example, winter allergy sufferers like me. I depend on frequent rains to wash all the winter pollen from non-native species, like f#ckin Acacia trees, out of the air. Not lookin' good.

No you are not old enough...This drought has broken all previous drought records, in recorded history.

And....i'm just pulling this out of my ass, but...Pretty sure we are using more water in a higher population, and AG business and grape growing, and discharges from power generating dams, etc...than ever before.

Rotsa Ruck when everyone turns on the air conditioners next summer.

 

[Bay Arean]

No you are not old enough...This drought has broken all previous drought records, in recorded history.

And....i'm just pulling this out of my ass, but...Pretty sure we are using more water in a higher population, and AG business and grape growing, and discharges from power generating dams, etc...than ever before.

Rotsa Ruck when everyone turns on the air conditioners next summer.

No. I was just reading about thriftier water consumption in a report. It came in a newspaper, not out of my ass.

We won't know if this is the WORST drought EVER until the actual rainfall season is over. So wait to be all chicken little. Two or three years ago, ( I remember Woodschicks excellent report from Nevada) it was raining and snowing on Memorial day. We cut our hay a MONTH later because it wouldn't stop raining enough to cut and process (once you cut hay you have to keep it from rotting on the ground by raking everday until you bale and pick up).

Its a cycle. It might be the worst but you cant say that yet.

As for grapes, that makes me laugh. They used to pump and flood irrigate grapes. Now, many of the vineyards have the more sophisticated drip systems. Yes, ag uses a lot. BUt many farmers have already not chosen to cultivate many fields, which will make food more expensive

I'm not going into the global warming as the cause bit. But if you remember, we have had droughts and floods forever here.

 

[Shaggy]

Nick, I don't see the option, "Whatever, global warming is a conspiracy!!!"

I can't edit a poll after its been posted. Otherwise the other option would be "Thanks Obama!"

 

[rsrider]

People, especially those in SoCal forget that CA is coastal dessert. Santa Barbara hasn't even enacted rationing yet, and people are watering their fracking lawns like crazy still. The lakes just keep getting smaller and smaller..............

 

[Bay Arean]

Before Internet memes, there was certainly this sentiment during the 1970s drought, that LoCal'ers were refusing to stop washing cars and mowing lawns while we were not flushing for pee. Pretty stupid to look on it now, but I actually wrote a rock song called "Shiny Cars" about it.

PS/ Maybe we should get those Antarctic explorers up here, now that they are rescued from the ice, to study the drought. Might make it rain.

 

[stangmx13]

City of San Diego lowered a lake last month by 23ft to prevent water rates from going up. im sad its not worth fishing there anymore, but i do like fresh water on tap.

i dont think its going to rain and a lot of CA is going to f*cked come fire season

 

[Bay Arean]

Although article below talks about 2013 being the driest year ever, the rainfall season is still in progress. But it definitely shows that 2013 itself was the driest, so that makes louie's post in context. But there is info about ongoing conservation, and we really have learned a lot since the 70s drought, which I was referring to:

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kpoole/californias_drought_-_we_can_d.html

Here's the quote I read:
". Contra Costa’s neighbor at the East Bay Municipal Water District – which also expects to meet its customers’ needs this year without rationing – says that such investments have reduced water demands by one-third of what they were 40 years ago. "

 

[matt1216]

It's scary to see the resovoirs so dry. Rode by nicassio the other day and it was almost dry.

I hate to see people wasting water.

Reminds me of the Steinbeck book "to a god unknown" scary time to be a farmer.

We all gotta do a rain dance!

 

[Toast]

It's scary to see the resovoirs so dry. Rode by nicassio the other day and it was almost dry.

I hate to see people wasting water.

Reminds me of the Steinbeck book "to a god unknown" scary time to be a farmer.

We all gotta do a rain dance!

The St Luis Reservoir was scary low last time I saw it, and that was over a month ago.