California's super-dry February raises specter of early fires and low reservoirs

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

LOS ANGELES — California is set to conclude one of its driest Februaries in recorded history, elevating fears the state’s always-unpredictable fire season could arrive early this year — if March doesn’t provide bring some wet relief.

February is typically a prime month for Pacific storms to produce much of the Sierra Nevada snowpack — moisture that sustains wildlife, delays wildfire season and serves as a water bank for thirsty cities and farms. But those storms didn’t arrive in February, with a state survey this week showing the snowpack was 46% of average.

After an unusually wet winter last year, many of California’s reservoirs are well above their season average, so state water managers have few fears about near-term shortages. Yet if the coming months remain relatively dry, the state will be dependent on an uncertain future to prevent the state from swinging back into drought conditions.

“All it takes is an extreme atmospheric river to end up in a high-water situation even if the broader season is dry,” said state hydrologist Michael Anderson, who added that a storm is expected to hit the state in the next couple of weeks. “The two extremes can now coexist in a warmer climate.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/californias-super-dry-february-raises-specter-of-early-fires-and-low-reservoirs/ar-BB10zdY6?li=BBnb7Kz

Are they raking the forests? - Donny Dotard.

[captain queeg]

1. I see power disruptions coming

Power companies will be playing it safe. When it gets real hot and dry there’ll be outages.

[RockRaven]

2. For San Francisco, it was the first February without ANY measurable rain all month long since 1864.

And while I'm not in SF, my part of Northern CA didn't see a drop of rain all month either.

[Adsos Letter]

4. Our redbud tree is putting on blossoms.

Seems earlier than usual this year.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Appears we are tracking 1997 -2000

end of Winter rainfall cycles once again. Last year at this time we were just a bit over 4 inches of rain,this year we just topped 1.01inches on the Northwest side of Vegas. Climate Change has hit the Desert Southwest with a vengeance. Noticed the Pine and Cedars are loading up with Cones which generally means a major drought is coming and Nature is doing it's best to survive and replenish later when the wet season returns.