Three California Cities have already received more Rain than the Average Amount for an Entire Year
Three cities in California have already surpassed a year’s worth of rainfall within the first five months of the water year due to an abundance of atmospheric rivers.
This month, the state has had heavy rainfall, and last year, over a dozen “atmospheric rivers” contributed to easing the state’s severe drought and refilling several reservoirs. The storms also resulted in severe floods and landslides.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “atmospheric rivers” or “rivers in the sky” are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that convey most of the water vapor outside of the tropics.
By early March, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside have already surpassed their annual rainfall totals. The measurements commence in October, coinciding with the start of the water year.
San Diego has received 9.82 inches of rain since the beginning of October. Los Angeles has accumulated 18.2 inches of rainfall, while Riverside has received 9.68 inches. The cities have average annual rainfall of 9.79 inches, 14 inches, and 9.37 inches, respectively.
San Diego and Riverside have experienced changes in their yearly average precipitation since the beginning of the water year on October 1st. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Diego shared graphs showing a slow start followed by significant improvement in rainfall totals for San Diego and Riverside on X, previously known as Twitter, on Sunday.
San Diego and Riverside have observed their yearly average precipitation levels since the beginning of the water year on October 1st.
In 2023, San Diego and Riverside both received just less than 16 inches of rain, surpassing their average annual rainfall, according to NWS meteorologist Elizabeth Adams in an interview with Newsweek on March 4, 2024.
“Last year was a notably wet year, with drier conditions in 2019 and 2020,” Adams stated. “That was likely the second wettest.”
Los Angeles exceeded its typical annual rainfall last year. More than 31 inches of rain were recorded in the city during the water year starting in 2022.
The latest storm brought significant snow to the Sierra Nevada mountains and mild rain to San Diego and Riverside during the weekend. Every city received approximately a quarter-inch of rainfall.
Despite the abundant rainfall, California’s water situation is not yet resolved and comes with its own set of problems. In January, San Diego faced severe rain and devastating floods that were so intense that cars were washed away. An emergency was declared by the city at that time.
