“Why Is California So Dry?” | NOAA Explains

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image: Noaa

It’s no secret that California is bone dry this year.  In fact, we’ve been bone dry since December 2013.  NOAA Sacramento gives a quick breakdown as to why we’re so dry in California.

The reason it has been so dry in California has been an extremely persistent high pressure ridge along the West Coast, pushing the average storm track northward into Alaska/British Columbia. This leads to the question, why is the ridge so persistent? One possible reason is an area of unusually warm water south of Alaska and west of Canada, coupled with cool water over the western Pacific may be reinforcing the pattern. Of course, the full answer is complicated, with many factors around the globe interacting with each other. Research by climate experts of this event may lead to clearer answers in the future. – NOAA Sacramento


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