Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Where Did California's Atmospheric Rivers Go?
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 5 years ago on
April 10, 2020

Share

Perhaps nothing else better explains the fickleness of the Valley’s weather since last fall than the dearth of atmospheric rivers finding their way to California.

“Drought conditions developed in California because of the lack of strong atmospheric river events. In the same period of time a year ago there were 41 atmospheric river events, 11 of which were strong to extreme.” — The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel reports that of 40 atmospheric rivers hitting the West Coast from October to March, just seven were rated “strong” and only one made it to the Golden State.

Where did the strong atmospheric rivers land?

Six of the seven hit Washington, and the state climatologist says, “Major water shortages aren’t anticipated for summer at this time due to the healthy snowpack.”

That isn’t the case for California, however.

“Drought conditions developed in California because of the lack of strong atmospheric river events,” The Weather Channel said. “In the same period of time a year ago there were 41 atmospheric river events, 11 of which were strong to extreme.”

However, the arrival of wet weather in March and this week’s slow-moving storm has boosted the formerly barren statewide snowpack to 64% of its historical average.

 

 

 

NOAA graphic explaining atmospheric rivers

 

Storm Exits Fresno

The storm delivered about a quarter of an inch of rain on Fresno on Thursday and .75 of an inch near Wishon Reservoir, the National Weather Service in Hanford reported.

Fresno’s April rainfall stands at 1.48 inches as the storm exits. For the year, Fresno has received 7.64 inches of rain.

US Drought Monitor Update

The U.S. Drought Monitor’s update Thursday, reflecting data as of April 7, shows the effects of the spring storms on California.

The overall area classified as “abnormally dry” or in “moderate drought” dropped from about 75% of the state to just under 68%.

The designation of abnormal dryness was removed from many areas along the coast from Monterey County south to San Diego County.

The total area considered to be in the first stages of drought held steady at about 43% of the state.

Dry Weather for Valley Floor, Thunderstorm Possible in Mountains

The NWS-Hanford forecast calls for light precipitation in the mountains and desert of Kern County on Friday.

Dry weather will return to the central and southern San Joaquin Valley on Saturday. But there is a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms to the Sierra on Sunday and Monday, according to the forecast. And, while dry weather is expected across the region on the Valley floor for the remainder of the week, isolated showers are possible in the mountains on Thursday and Friday.

DON'T MISS

The Deadly Truth: Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024

DON'T MISS

CHP K-9 Seizes 50 Pounds of Illicit Mushrooms in Fresno County

DON'T MISS

Saint Agnes to Expand Teaching for Clovis Med School Students

DON'T MISS

Belarus Releases 3 People, Including an American and a Jailed Journalist

DON'T MISS

Need Down Payment Help? Fresno Housing Has $25K for First-Time Homebuyers

DON'T MISS

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

DON'T MISS

Bredefeld Wants Less Scrutiny for Supervisors’ Discretionary Budget. Pacheco Calls It ‘Ironic.’

DON'T MISS

Senate Confirms Gabbard as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence

DON'T MISS

President Trump and Putin Have Agreed to Start Negotiations to End the Ukraine War

DON'T MISS

Google Calendar Users No Longer See Default Entries for Events Like Pride, Black History Month

UP NEXT

Need Down Payment Help? Fresno Housing Has $25K for First-Time Homebuyers

UP NEXT

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

UP NEXT

Bredefeld Wants Less Scrutiny for Supervisors’ Discretionary Budget. Pacheco Calls It ‘Ironic.’

UP NEXT

Apple Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Maps

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Erik Michael Alexander Gropp

UP NEXT

Visalia Man Arrested for Beating Dog, Confronting Officers

UP NEXT

Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins Is Keynote Speaker for Fresno Clovis Prayer Breakfast

UP NEXT

Red, White, and Blueland? GOP Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename Greenland

UP NEXT

White House Bars AP Reporter From Oval Office Because of AP Style Policy on ‘Gulf of America’

UP NEXT

Blood Center Picks Long-Time Industry Leader as New CEO

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Belarus Releases 3 People, Including an American and a Jailed Journalist

1 hour ago

Need Down Payment Help? Fresno Housing Has $25K for First-Time Homebuyers

1 hour ago

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

2 hours ago

Bredefeld Wants Less Scrutiny for Supervisors’ Discretionary Budget. Pacheco Calls It ‘Ironic.’

2 hours ago

Senate Confirms Gabbard as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence

3 hours ago

President Trump and Putin Have Agreed to Start Negotiations to End the Ukraine War

4 hours ago

Google Calendar Users No Longer See Default Entries for Events Like Pride, Black History Month

4 hours ago

Apple Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Maps

4 hours ago

Kevin Durant Becomes 8th in NBA History to Score 30,000 Points

4 hours ago

Too Few Tents Entering Gaza Threatens the Truce. Here’s What’s Happening

4 hours ago

The Deadly Truth: Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024

Last year marked a grim milestone for journalists worldwide. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 2024 was the deadliest...

40 minutes ago

40 minutes ago

The Deadly Truth: Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024

A CHP K-9 seized 50 pounds of illicit mushrooms worth $80,000 during a traffic stop on I-5 in Fresno County, leading to the arrest of Phillip Yoon, 35, of Hayward. (CHP)
1 hour ago

CHP K-9 Seizes 50 Pounds of Illicit Mushrooms in Fresno County

1 hour ago

Saint Agnes to Expand Teaching for Clovis Med School Students

1 hour ago

Belarus Releases 3 People, Including an American and a Jailed Journalist

1 hour ago

Need Down Payment Help? Fresno Housing Has $25K for First-Time Homebuyers

2 hours ago

Pentagon’s New Media Rotation Program Boots NPR, NY Times, NBC News

2 hours ago

Bredefeld Wants Less Scrutiny for Supervisors’ Discretionary Budget. Pacheco Calls It ‘Ironic.’

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP/John McDonnell)
3 hours ago

Senate Confirms Gabbard as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend