Are we doomed not to get any more rain EVER?

[ailsagirl]

I am so sick of dry weather.

This is ridiculous

PS I am in the SF Bay Area

[MFM008]

1. ok heres what you do....

leave your house find the freeway and head NORTH WEST to Washington State....we got rain up the umbrella stand.

[ailsagirl]

2. That's what I understand

A friend of mine who lives in Seattle had to say it rains there every night

Perhaps if I wash my car??



Can the clouds be seeded?

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. In San Diego, it has rained of an on all day.

At times, it rained so hard I thought a train had unexpectedly driven down my street.

We will get rain again, depending on where you live. California is a big state.

[ailsagirl]

4. You are kidding!

Last edited Fri Dec 20, 2013, 02:24 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm up in the Bay Area, where one meteorologist said it's the driest December in over 100 years.

Damn

[Agnosticsherbet]

25. Not kidding.

[ailsagirl]

29. Lucky

[mwrguy]

5. It just rained hard here in Phoenix

Briefly, but it was really coming down.

[KamaAina]

6. I'm still thinking it'll kick in after the first of the year

Kind of the opposite of last year, when it rained in Nov. and especially Dec. (mostly while I was away in Hawai'i ), then gave way to our current dry spell.

[ailsagirl]

11. That's what I'm hoping. I heard that there were wildfires at Big Sur.

Dash it all

[cilla4progress]

7. Eastern Washington here...

BROWN Christmas! 1st time I've ever experienced this. Not a skiff of snow on the fields! Some - a wee bit - up in the mountains. This summer will suck if no snow pack.

Hope I never have to go through this again!

[Niceguy1]

8. CA has a history

Of 30 year draughts....going back a long ways. I hope we arent in one

[ailsagirl]

13. Heaven forbid!!!!!!

[ailsagirl]

32. An interesting link re rainfall in Marin County

http://www.marinwater.org/documents/Rainfall_History_Lake_Lagunitas.pdf

So, officially, we haven't been in a drought since 1992.

[kestrel91316]

9. It sprinkled a little today. I'think we are at 2.5 inches for calendar year 2013.

All time record low rainfall.

[Cleita]

10. I read somewhere that there's talk in Sacramento of seeding clouds to stimulate some rain.

I don't know if it will actually happen, but I agree about how dry it is.

[ailsagirl]

12. I suppose if cloud-seeding were a viable solution

it would have been tried by now. But I don't know if it's a hit-or-miss thing. Seems to me I recall it's not a sure thing by any means.

I'll have to be patient. Not easy for me.

[bayareaboy]

14. I've lived California most of my life...

Worked with nursery or landscaping and seen most gardens go to lava-rock instead of trees, shrubs, and flowers.

It is the pits!

Most of the folks I went to college and worked with over the years in nurseries have made the step to settle in Oregon.

[grasswire]

26. yeah, we natives noticed that here in Oregon!

Ptooooie!

[ailsagirl]

30. Ouch!!

[bayareaboy]

35. Gee that's pretty cool...

because for years it seemed the traffic went the other way!

[grasswire]

36. when was that?

Oregon has been discouraging Californians from emigrating since the early 1970s at least, when Governor Tom McCall took it public. It didn't work.

[bayareaboy]

40. Perhaps I should have diagrammed my post...

Oregon folk have come down this way to California for many years whether there was work or not here. I have lived in Ca. Or. and Wa. at one time or another and I am 65. I have family in from BC. down to SF.

So why don't you tell me how come you all don't like those California folks, and don't pull out the old property value thing going up, cause if you had property you benefited from that.

Oh and those nurseries in the Salem area supplied lots of work to folks who were displaced by the downturn of the lumber industry. Guess what that for the most part was California Money.

I worked as an analyst for a couple of nurserys around Linn County. Who do you think drives for the nurseries, former logging drivers. that was in the late 80s.

[Arugula Latte]

52. Oh, you're native?

What are you -- Chinook, Klamath, Modoc, Nez Perce, Tillamook, Molala ... or?

[grasswire]

53. btw, that's Molalla. Not Molala. nt

[Arugula Latte]

54. The way I've seen the tribe spelled doesn't have the double "l."

I realize the spelling of the town has the double l. Alternative spellings for the tribe include Molale, Molele, and Molalla.

[pinto]

55. Many homes in my area (Central Coast) are installing or redesigning for drought tolerance.

Succulent, drought tolerant choices are widely available. A broad range of color, texture, size, bloom color, etc. are being utilized. Some of the refurbished yards I've seen around town are stunning. Water thirsty grass areas are being limited or removed entirely.

It's a good trend. Hope it spreads in remodels and new construction.

[Auggie]

15. Forecasts are not encouraging

[antiquie]

16. Forecasts are very discouraging.

[ailsagirl]

17. Long-term or short-term?

I know we'll get some rain in the next four months.

[Adsos Letter]

18. I wish it would rain so that it would WARM UP a bit...

I'm in the North Bay Area and the cold we've been having has played havoc with my yards. I just re-landscaped the front yard, and the unusually cold weather has wiped put about 25% of my plants.

[ailsagirl]

19. Sorry to hear that

Not as serious, but my garden is a mess, not surprisingly. Yes, with rain would come warmer temps. Maybe in January.

[Brother Buzz]

20. My Magic 8 Ball® says a ton of rain will fall in the spring

The Pineapple Express will dump on us and bring our rain totals almost up to normal. I suspect there may be flooding - even mud slides.

[antiquie]

21. Old Farmer's Almanac agrees with you.

[ailsagirl]

24. COOL!!

[ailsagirl]

23. Flooding & mudslides = not good

Also, it puts the kibosh on the ski season

BUT we'll take it

Thanks for your prognostication

[Auggie]

22. 1.12" in the Napa Valley since August. 5.53" for the year.

I track rainfall for wine growers. This is the official tally of the U.C. Davis weather station in Oakville, CA.

Grape growers who depend on their own reservoirs to irrigate vineyards are facing tough times should this continues.

[ailsagirl]

31. I know-- it's scary

Thanks for weighing in.

I grew up in Davis and there was never a worry re drought or fires.

It's completely different in the North Bay (Marin, Sonoma, etc.), as I'm sure you know. It's a cinch to go to http://www.marinwater.org/controller?action=menuclick&id=221 and get the lowdown.

Here's an historical bar graph of rainfall at Lake Lagunitas:
http://www.marinwater.org/documents/Rainfall_History_Lake_Lagunitas.pdf

Interesting

[Warpy]

27. I live in the desert and love the arid climate

but we got rain last night. It's turning into a hell of a storm on the other side of the Rockies.

Don't worry, though, the kink in the jet stream will eventually move east and you'll be grumbling about all that nasty rain, will it ever end?

[ailsagirl]

28. I'm one of the few who absolutely loves the rain

Not to the point where houses are floating away-- but enough to replenish the reservoirs and restore the GREEN into the foliage.

(And make the danger of fire plummet to 0)

Cheers!

[Cleita]

33. As an added thought. We plant ice plant on the slopes for

erosion control. We use it in the places that are beyond irrigation so it relies on seasonal rain to survive. I just noted it's starting to dry up and die. This is the first year in the twelve I've been here.

[antiquie]

58. Ice plant was given part of the blame

for a Laguna slide that took out half my sister's house (red-tagged for a year and a half). We had always been told to use ice plant for erosion control. I don't know your conditions, but after her disaster, I felt the need to share this.

Simple erosion control for a hillside or garden slope.

Old erosion ideas that don't work.

Ice plant, 'red apple', and grasses like Red fescue

They all behave the same way in a wet year. These plants are not appropriate to control erosion on a slope because 1) they are alien plants and not part of our natural plant community, 2) they have very shallow roots. 3) they are heavy.
The slopes load up with rain water to full saturation and then shed/slide off. The top vegetation actually ADDS to the weight of the slope. It feels just like a wet shag carpet, and the roots are about as deep. I wish the news people would get it right; it usually isn't mud slides, it's ice plant or 'grassland' slides.

http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/howto/slope.html

[Cleita]

59. I don't like it. I think it's ugly. We do have retainer walls around the buildings.

It's pretty much dying though and this heat and drought is not letting up.

[ailsagirl]

34. Did the plants die due to lack of rain or the cold?

We had some cacti freeze to death one very cold winter. I thought they'd return. They didn't.

[pinto]

37. There will be rain...

eventually.

[ailsagirl]

38. That's what I am, ultimately, thinking

I'm glad I started this thread-- gave me some insight

I found out that Marin County endured three droughts in the 20th century-- that's not too bad.

So I have hope.

[Jamaal510]

39. I moved up to Humboldt

from the Bay Area this past August in expectation of more rain, but so far, it has only been 40% of average rainfall. Besides the colder temperatures, I haven't felt much of a change here compared to last fall and winter in the Bay Area.

[tandot]

41. It sucks. Sacramento area here ...

warm (mid sixties) and no rain

It will be 65 degrees again on 12/24/13 ... I miss the cold and rain

[PasadenaTrudy]

42. I'm in Pasadena

So dry here too. Santa Ana winds, fire danger...yes, it sucks. I also love the rain, I love the way our Arroyo smells after a good rain. So fresh!

[ailsagirl]

43. there's nothing like rain

It clears, cleans, and generally spruces up everything

Can't wait for the next storm

[antiquie]

44. No Rain in Sight as Los Angeles Nears Its Record for Driest Year Ever

With no significant moisture in the forecast and just days until New Year's Eve, it appears this year will go down in the books as the driest ever on record in Los Angeles.

Last month, California's Department of Water Resources announced an allocation of only 5 percent of deliveries requested by public agencies from the State Water Project. The initial projection historically is revised during the season.

To augment local water supplies, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other cities have had to import more water from the Colorado River and from Northern California through the state water project.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/No-Rain-in-Sight-as-Los-Angeles-Nears-Its-Record-for-Driest-Year-Ever--237740821.html

[ailsagirl]

45. Well, nothing we can do about it except conserve

Of course, that doesn't help in terms of fire danger.

[Kablooie]

46. Hell, we all live next to the ocean. When are we gonna start desalinating?

[ailsagirl]

47. Good queston!

[Auggie]

51. I think the answer is in increased conservation and a few more reservoirs

Isn't desalinating costly?

[Brother Buzz]

60. There's a desalination plant under construction in Carlsbad but it won't be online until 2016

After twelve years of planning and over six years in the state’s permitting process, the Carlsbad Desalination Project has received final approvals from every required regulatory and permitting agency in the state, including the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission and Regional Water Quality Control Board. A 30-year Water Purchase Agreement is in place between the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) and Poseidon for the entire output of the plant. Construction on the plant and pipeline is under way and the Project will be delivering water to the businesses and residents in San Diego County by 2016.

Poseidon specializes in developing and financing water infrastructure projects, primarily seawater desalination and water treatment plants. Poseidon’s projects are implemented through innovative public-private partnerships that link private financing with the construction and operation of water supply and treatment projects.


http://carlsbaddesal.com/

[mackerel]

48. there is no rain in the 7 day forecast

Not good for us here in Zinfandel country

[ailsagirl]

49. Oh well-- there's nothing we can do

but hope for a miracle!

[antiquie]

61. When in doubt: Spin!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1040&pid=5148

[ailsagirl]

62. There ya go!

[Piedras]

50. The hills are brown when they should be green this time of year

The hills around here on the California Central Coast are a parched brown. This time of year they should be green, maybe a lush green. sloweather.com says we have only had .95" of rain so far this season when the average season to date would normally be 9.69".

[pinto]

56. Yeah. 80's predicted all this week and real low humidity.

Here's hoping for a wet Feb/ Mar.

[ailsagirl]

57. I'll drink to that!!

[ailsagirl]

63. Governor Brown will be accouncing we're in a drought today

Per MoveOn.org

damn

[PasadenaTrudy]

64. I'm hearing

we won't get any decent rain until April or May. Just more heat

[ailsagirl]

66. At this point, I'd welcome any precip at any time

Our local water district has not declared the Marin County area to be in a drought, but the writing is on the wall.

Heat? I hate it!!

(But not enough to move elsewhere)

[mitchtv]

65. not much measurable in Coachella Valley

our normal is 3.5 " anyway .Heat is near record .We love our hoards of Canadians,and Minnesotan tourists and we gladly welcome many Oregonians.