California
Related: About this forumLooks like Southern California got its January rain in July.
Normally we get our rains in January and our July is bone dry. But this year the months seemed to swap in terms of rain totals.
It's also more rain than San Diego saw in all of January this year; on average, January is the second-wettest month and July the second-driest, with January averaging 66 times more rainfall than July. The only other time July has out-dampened January in San Diego was 1976, when July had 0.02 inch to January's trace.
Later in the day, Los Angeles broke its own July records. Downtown Los Angeles picked up 0.28 inch, which broke the July full-month record of 0.24 inch from July 1-31, 1886. Los Angeles International Airport saw 0.32 inch of rain, tying the record for all of July set in 1992.
http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/southwest-flood-threat-july-2015-tropical-storm-hurricane-dolores
JayhawkSD
(3,163 posts)Looks like "the baby" might be coming, but this was moisture generated by a tropical storm that had fallen apart before it drifted north. It's not actually all that rare, and while Pacific hurricaine activity further south and west is influenced by El Nino, those off the Baja coast are not.
El Nino does not have any significant effect on us until the winter storm track sets up. Even then, there is a persistent high pressure offshore that, if it remains in place, will disrupt El Nino's normal pattern. It has been there a long time. We don't know why and we don't know when it will leave.
This event was nonetheless a bit dramatic, and the thunder scared the bejeezus out of my cat.
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)I know this rain is not El Nino. This is just monsoonal moisture we get every year from tropical storm remnants. That usually just gives us a couple sprinkles but this year it's almost the amount of rain we should have gotten but didn't get in January. Hence the headline.
I imagine with global warming these monsoonal moisture events will continue to get more intense as tropical storms get more intense.
The problem with getting rain in the summer is that it does not create the snowpack we need, and can cause bad flash floods.
We need a good long winter soak from a strong El Nino. Seems to me they've predicted a winter El Nino every year of this drought and yet every year the drought gets worse. Sure hope they're right this time. But, as you indicate, it appears the warming of the oceans and the persistent high pressure/heat in the winter has disrupted the El Nino pattern.
petronius
(26,607 posts)A bit over 1/3" so far in SLO (only need another 60" or so to make up our long term drought deficit... )
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)Your aquifer is right long the coast and the local authorities have been fighting saltwater intrusion for years. You REALLY need rain.
pinto
(106,886 posts)petronius
(26,607 posts)a long time since I've seen/heard lightning and thunder. And our poor little cat was pretty scared - she was born and raised in Louisiana, but I guess she's forgotten...
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I got Saturnian booms like I haven't in a long time. So happy that you didn't. However, right now it's steady rain and no booms. Kitty approves.
chapdrum
(930 posts)If so, are they tied to this small amount of rain?
Hope not.
Remember Obama talking about the need to repair the electrical infrastructure during his first campaign? I do.
Wonder who is going to take that on.
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)But yeah, our infrastructure sucks, thanks to the GOP blocking any Dem attempts to increase funding for infrastructure.
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)Nice to see it.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)Couldn't believe it when I stuck my head out the door...almost 90 and that's in the South Bay.
Crazy.
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)SoapBox
(18,791 posts)Raining again...steady drizzle...sky is all gray so looks like this continue for a little while.
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)The Metropolitan Cooperative Water District called the rains we got in May the "May miracle" because it brought reservoirs up an average of 10%. Hopefully these July rains will get us another 5% bump or so.
I know this won't get us out of the drought, but it's better than a stick in the eye!
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)I hate gray and rain but...we need anything we can get.
antiquie
(4,299 posts)Los Angeles All traffic along a major freeway connecting California and Arizona was blocked indefinitely when a bridge over a desert wash collapsed during heavy rain, and the roadway in the opposite direction suffered severe damage, authorities said.
The collapse on Interstate 10 in southeastern California Sunday afternoon left one driver injured, stranded numerous motorists and complicated travel for countless thousands for what officials warned could be a long time.
"Interstate 10 is closed completely and indefinitely," said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation.
SunSeeker
(51,772 posts)PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)must be crazy today.