California has been inundated by 78 TRILLION gallons of water during historic wet winter
California has been hit with 78 trillion gallons of water during this historic winter, which is enough to fill Lake Tahoe twice or 110 million Olympic size swimming pools.
Statewide, residents have seen an average of nearly 28 inches of rainwater, as well as snowwater equivalent, the amount of rainwater that would also be if it were not solid, between October 1 and March 20.
Despite how much water the Rose Bowl can fill 900,000 times, it’s not the wettest winter season California has ever seen. The Golden State saw the most rainfall between 1982 and 1983 with an average of 42.81 inches, according to California state climatologist Michael Anderson.
However, that is about 25 trillion gallons more than the annual average of 52 trillion or 18.6 inches.
Also, some of the higher elevation cities have received an average of 58 feet of snow, or about 700 inches, according to USA Today.
California has been hit with 78 trillion gallons of water during this historic winter, which is enough to fill Lake Tahoe twice or 110 million Olympic-sized swimming pools (Pictured: Kernville on March 10)
Statewide, residents have seen an average of nearly 28 inches of rainwater as well as the equivalent of snowwater between Oct. 1 and March 20 (Pictured: San Joaquin County on Oct. 21 of March)
Despite how much water the Rose Bowl can fill 900,000 times, it’s not the wettest winter season California has ever seen. The Golden State saw the most rainfall between 1982 and 1983 averaging 42.81 inches (pictured: Pajaro on March 14)
San Francisco experienced hurricane force winds last week as the state has been hit by 12 atmospheric storms.
Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce said the amount of snow is equal to three giraffes stacked on top of each other.
The Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded 57 feet of snow. The average is 30 feet.
The water content level of the Central Sierra snowpack is nearly 235 percent above the April 1 average, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
With all the extra precipitation from the 12 atmospheric storms that have hit the state and the extra snowfall, California has become less affected by drought. In January, the Golden State was at 100 percent drought, while now it’s just 36 percent, according to the US Drought Monitor.
Additionally, some of the higher elevation cities have received an average of 58 feet of snow, or about 700 inches, and have been surrounded by high snow banks (Pictured: Lake Tahoe)
The Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded 57 feet of snow. The average is 30 feet (pictured: Mammoth Lakes on March 29)
More snow is expected to fall at higher elevations, like Mammoth Lakes, Wednesday through Friday.
“Clearly, the amount of water that has fallen this year has greatly alleviated the drought. It hasn’t completely ended the drought, but we are in a very different place than we were a year ago,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, according to USA Today.
Earlier this month, Kernville was hit so hard by flooding that video shows homes and playgrounds surrounded by rushing water, while residents of Lake Tahoe were left stranded and surrounded by a dense layer of snow that reached the roofs. .
San Francisco was battered by hurricane force winds that knocked out power to more than 230,000 people. At least one person died after gusts, which reached more than 78 mph, caused a tree to fall near Portolla Valley.
This week’s storm could also bring more flooding to the state, which is still recovering from flooding (pictured: Corcoran on March 29)
A car braved high water in Corcoran on March 29.
California is once again preparing for another storm, which is expected to arrive on Wednesday and last through Friday.
It will heavily affect higher elevation areas and could lead to excessive runoff and flooding. Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada could reach up to one meter.
Strong winds are expected to affect much of California, Nevada, southern Oregon and northwestern Arizona, according to npr. The Northern Rockies can expect temperatures to be in the 30s to 40s while the rest of California will be in the 50s.
Due to excessive weather, Governor Gavin Newsom requested a presidential major disaster declaration. If accepted, it would help residents receive storm relief.