Upper Basin now at >150% of the median SWE for mid-January, and almost 75% of the peak SWE–about three months ahead of the typical peak.
The snow gods are giving the #ColoradoRiver and all of us in the basin a little breathing room this water year — @LukasClimate #COriver #aridification (January 17, 2023)
People are “reading too much” into the snowfall amounts, and the recent precipitation totals in California. Most people seem unable to grasp the fact, that “we” have put a tremendous amount of “heat energy” into the thin balloon of our atmosphere; which has greatly “sped up” the hydrological cycle. The rainfall, or snow, that came down so heavily and fast?
Will evaporate even faster. Snow packs in the west today? Contribute much less water to our rivers and streams than only 25 years ago. This is because much of the snow no longer melts into water which can run off. It actually “volatize’s”, gasses off right back into the air.
Our much warmer air these days? Can take up much more water vapor, duh! Orders of magnitude greater amounts, actually.
So the drought will continue in the west, as will the “atmospheric rivers” and extreme weather events. This is our new “normal” weather pattern, which is getting more extreme, more devastating to our “so called” civilization, with each passing day.
Our planet is now in a runaway warming period. Our species? We the people? We are inextricably entrapped; caught up in a massive extinction event that will rival the Permian’s…
Harry,
Good points all. Thanks for commenting.
John Orr
http://coyotegulch.blog/