Dry, Dry, Dry in California

Let us root for our friends on the west coast and hope that they are not embarking on a disastrous fire season. Actually, the fire season is supposed to be over at this time. There was a major wildfire in Orange County the last day or so and it should not be much of a surprise.
The weather has been extremely dry over Southern California. So much so that rainfall in Los Angeles has only been 20% of normal since way back in mid summer last year.

Many western states go by what they call a “water year,” keeping a record of rainfall from July 1 through June 30. In San Diego, there has only been 3.30 inches in 8-1/2 months. Bakersfield has only had slightly over 2 inches during that time.

With drought conditions, the temperature always heats up more than normal. Yesterday afternoon at least 19 locations in Southern California had record highs for March 12. The national high was 98 at Riverside.

I have always considered a long persistent drought to be the most depressing and discouraging weather event there is. In almost any part of the west, water shortages are an ever present threat, especially with exploding populations in the last 20 years and not many new sources of water.

I remember stopping for lunch in a very remote area on the Plains of SE New Mexico once. I needed a quart of oil for my automobile. It only cost 25 cents, but the adjoining café charged us 35 cents for a glass of water!

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