Jose Mier writes from Sun Valley, CA.
March surprised us by being so wet and in this second week of April we’re again experiencing showers. Last night the rain was especially heavy. There’s an old song that goes, “Though April showers my come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May.” If not May flowers, can we expect an end to our classification of being in drought conditions.
I did some cursory checking on our Southern California drought conditions and at last I found something positive. A Los Angeles Times article at least gives a nod to the fact that we’re experiencing more rain right now and that it is having an effect on the drought.
Prior to this it seemed like no matter how wet Sun Valley got, the naysayers in the press loved reminding us that “we are still in a drought.”
I decided to go straight to the data and happened on the LA Almanac website. They give the monthly normal for April as 1.11 inches. Last night alone (April 6), Sun Valley got 1.11 inches of rainfall meaning we’ve equaled the normal amount for April and we are still in the early days of the month.
A quick check of the forecast shows at least 3-4 days of rainfall coming later this week. Whether the prediction holds from one day to the next is another thing. However, things are pretty moist outside right now and that’s a good thing.
During these times of self-imposed quarantine it seems like the best time for rain to fall. Many are not leaving their houses and garaged autos remain dry while the rain falls. It does prevent many of us from venturing outside however to get some exercise but as Sun Valley resident Ramon Castro told me, “ I think it will save the city some money instead of letting the sprinklers run. It’s also going to make the parks greener so when I get a chance to go outside I’m going to enjoy it.” That sentiment was echoed by a number of other Sun Valleyites.
While the rains here in Southern California are welcome, the same storm that is bringing rain to the Sun Valley area is also bringing wet weather to the North. More snowfall is expected in the Sierras during the course of this storm which means the snowpack in the mountains will be greater. Again, this will help ameliorate the drought.
As of now, the drought.gov website has not updated their totals yet and Sun Valley is still in a part of California that is classified as “D0” or abnormally dry. One look out the window however and it looks to me like our D0 should be changed to No Drought.