The Warm Temperatures Didn’t Just Affect the Snowpack, Though
Warm temperatures in April and early May also led to those holding water rights below dams withdrawing their water much earlier and in greater volumes than in other dry years. Overall, warm temperatures, weak snowpack, and early withdrawal of water reduced water supplies by more than 500,000 acre feet, Newsom’s office said, the equivalent of the water supplies for 1 million households for a year.
The worsening drought comes just a few years after the state had some of its wettest years on record. The flip-flop reflects a trend climate scientists have tracked: California’s average precipitation hasn’t changed much, but dry and wet years have become more extreme. This trend is expected to continue due to climate change, increasing the urgency for the state to figure out how to cope with drought and more snow depending on the year.
