Thanks to this year's El Nino, California has got more than 500 ft. of snowfall in the Sierras. So it's no doubt that California's drought has weakened but don't let that fool you. It will take more than that to end California's drought. Specifically it will take 4 things.
1. Much More Rain
We need four more months of rain in order to completely overcome the deficit of water. A great amount of the rainfall/snowfall is still needed. Most of the rainfall that is not in the mountains, but closer to the coast, will just flow into the sea, not helping our cause at all.
2. Rain in The Right Place
We need the rainfall in the mountains. Most Californians use the water that melts off the Sierras during the springtime, so no snow means no water for the near future.
3. Cold Temperatures in the Mountains
In order to store enough snow for the rest of the year, we need constant cold temperatures during the winter. If the temperatures become high the snow will not stay. Instead it will begin to melt during the winter, thus not having enough snow stored to supply California for the rest of the year.
4. Time
It will take a lot of time to be able to completely reverse the drought and all it has caused. The effects of the drought will continue to remain for a while. "it can take more than a single good year of snowpack for a drought to truly end,” says Frank Gehrke, who oversees snow surveys for California's Department of Water Resources.
Read The Article Here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160107-california-drought-snowpack-el-nino-rains/
1. Much More Rain
We need four more months of rain in order to completely overcome the deficit of water. A great amount of the rainfall/snowfall is still needed. Most of the rainfall that is not in the mountains, but closer to the coast, will just flow into the sea, not helping our cause at all.
2. Rain in The Right Place
We need the rainfall in the mountains. Most Californians use the water that melts off the Sierras during the springtime, so no snow means no water for the near future.
3. Cold Temperatures in the Mountains
In order to store enough snow for the rest of the year, we need constant cold temperatures during the winter. If the temperatures become high the snow will not stay. Instead it will begin to melt during the winter, thus not having enough snow stored to supply California for the rest of the year.
4. Time
It will take a lot of time to be able to completely reverse the drought and all it has caused. The effects of the drought will continue to remain for a while. "it can take more than a single good year of snowpack for a drought to truly end,” says Frank Gehrke, who oversees snow surveys for California's Department of Water Resources.
Read The Article Here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160107-california-drought-snowpack-el-nino-rains/