May 25,2015-
Just a bit of good news in the California drought calamity. Rain and snow have visited the Central Sierra from Tahoe down to Sequoia more than in an average May. NOAA has published this map showing precip at above average amounts along the crest of the Sierra including Tulare County. Portions highlighted in purple are 200 to 400% of average.
This weekend (Memorial Day) the last operating ski resort in the state will shut down at Mammoth, reporting 3 inches of new snow at the top.
The resort has received 28 inches of snow through this date compared to 6 inches for all of May 2014.
The map shows Tulare County seeing more than 150% of average precip through May 23.
While winter-type storms have visited the much of California this month – that weather pattern appears to be at an end with June upon us. Only a possible Baja hurricane offers the prospect of some rain in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile a strengthening El Nino pattern promises a good Arizona / New Mexico wet season this summer( 800% of average in May -see map),and perhaps wet fall for California.
The Climas climate blog says as of May 22, “After a series of fits and starts, the pieces finally seem in place for the El Niño event forecasters expected to start last year. This is partially evidenced by the recent above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures in Arizona and New Mexico in late April and early May—exactly the sort of springtime weather we might expect to see if El Niño conditions were present and affecting our weather patterns. If the event persists into fall and winter 2015, and particularly if it remains a moderate to strong event, we will likely see patterns of above-average precipitation in the Southwest. There is also the possibility of a repeat of the 2014 tropical storm season, in which conditions favorable to El Niño were thought to have driven the increased tropical storm activity in the Southwest.”