![]() The average mid-March water equivalency of the high-elevation Sierra Nevada snowpack topped 55 inches, more than 220% normal for an entire season, according to the California Department of Water Resources. By March 15, the San Joaquin River at Patterson, California, neared a record crest, with the water rising to within less than a foot of the February 2017 high-water mark. Rain, along with melting of lower-elevation snowpack and dam releases, also led to significant water rises along many waterways in California’s Central Valley. Torrential rain in central California caused a levee break along the Pajaro River, flooding the community of Pajaro in Monterey County. So, while we could see some challenges if we continue a wet pattern through March, things aren’t to the extent that I would say I’m really worried about at it this point.Two atmospheric river events struck California and portions of neighboring states, with the second arriving as the drought-monitoring period ended. If we carry that cool and wet through the end of March – certainly into the first week or two of April as we get closer to Easter – that could spell trouble as far as planting delays. TF: A wet and cool early March may not spell too much trouble if we get a little drier and a little warmer in later March and early April. SN: Does a cooler, wetter March make things difficult as we head into planting season? There may be some hints that maybe there will be some warming conditions as we get into April. But though those outlooks, we could see kind of that cool, wet, muddy, gloomy kind of spring. It’s not going to be dead-of-winter kind of cold. TF: The outlooks right now for March – and for especially for the middle of March – are showing higher chances of below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. SN: As we come out of winter – and last week’s rainy weather certainly seemed to portend this – are we headed toward a muddy, dreary spring? So, there’s no long-term trend we can make out from the variability, but the projection is that we’re going to see less snow overall in central Illinois in coming winters. And because they’re warmer, a lot of those systems that would normally bring snow are bringing rain. The expectation is that winters in coming decades will be more like this winter. So, there isn’t necessarily a significant downward trend that I can point to and say yes, absolutely, we’re seeing less snowfall. We’ve seen the systems, but it’s just been too warm to produce any snowfall. We’ve completely missed on those this year. The reason being is that what really makes or breaks a snowfall season in central Illinois is if we catch that one or two systems that can drop multiple inches of snow. Our trends are a bit mixed as far as snowfall is concerned. The thing about snowfall is that especially in central Illinois, where we’re kind of in the ephemeral part of the snow belt, we very rarely carry snowpack. Sarah Nardi: This question may be rooted in nostalgia more so than science, but are winters less snowy than they used to be? The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. To find out, I sat down with state climatologist Trent Ford. So, what’s the deal with winter? Is this year’s weather an anomaly or are we headed towards warmer, wetter winters in general? February totals landed nearly an inch above average. Rain, on the other hand, fell in abundance. ![]() Snowfall in Illinois was notably lacking, with all but the northwest tip of the state logging below-average totals. This year, winter has been a comparatively warm, wet slog toward spring. When snowmen and snowball fights make children of us all. When the soul is warmed by the kaleidoscopic magic of a snowflake caught on an upturned palm. ![]() ![]() When nature compensates for shortened days and frigid nights by enveloping the landscape in blankets of crystalline snow.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |