Cloud Seeding: The Future of Drought Management? The Western US is in a severe drought, with many areas experiencing drought-like conditions since the early 2000s. While lots of energy is spent debating what is causing these conditions (human-induced climate change vs. natural climate variations), not as much energy is spent attempting to generate and implement solutions to reverse these drought conditions. This is not good since the threat […] Brains Clay Malott | September 3, 2021 0 Comments
NASA: In July Great Salt Lake, UT, Reached Lowest Level Ever Recorded and Has Kept Dropping This story first appeared on NASA Earth Observatory and was written by Michael Carlowicz. In late July 2021, the Great Salt Lake in Utah reached its lowest water level on record, and it has continued dropping since then. On July 23, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge at the Saltair boat harbor at the southern end of the lake recorded […] WeatherBrains | August 18, 2021 0 Comments
Flooding and Drought at the Same Time? A Reality for Much of Utah The western U.S. has seen exceptional drought this summer, leading to extremely dry soil. The beginning of the monsoon season has brought heavy rainfall, which brings much-needed moisture. But with it brings flash flooding to areas that are unprepared. According to Glen Merrill, hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, Capitol Reef National Park broke a record […] Brains Joseph Puetz | August 4, 2021 1 Comment
California Faces Water Thieves as Drought Worsens California has been desperate for water as a drought travels through the West Coast state. It is the worst possible time of the year for California, as it’s hotter and drier than ever, which is intensifying the drought altogether. With the dry period California is facing, people are more desperate than ever for water, leaving many resulting in theft to […] Breya Bergom | July 26, 2021 1 Comment
NASA: California and Nevada Are Missing 0.5 to 1 Years’ Worth of Precipitation Since October 2019 Mountain snow is like a bank account for water across the western United States. Snow that falls on the Sierra Nevada in California, the Rocky Mountains, and other ranges becomes a natural reservoir that slowly melts each spring and summer and flows down into the river valleys. The resource managers of western states count on this allowance from nature to […] SnowBrains | July 15, 2021 0 Comments
Warming Winters and Dwindling Sierra Nevada Snowpack Will Squeeze Water Resources in Parts of California Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains provides roughly 75 percent of California’s agricultural water, and 60 percent of Southern California’s water resources. Warm winters can cause snow droughts in the Sierra Nevada, both by nudging precipitation in the direction of rainfall rather than snowfall and by melting snow sooner. A new study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, […] WeatherBrains | July 14, 2021 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe is at Lowest Level Since January 2017 Amid drought conditions across the Sierra Nevada, the Lake Tahoe water level is now less than two feet above its natural rim of 6,223 feet. Related: California Snowpack is Currently 0% of Average for June 1st Tahoe’s water typically gets a boost from spring snowmelt, but this year snowpack was virtually melted by May 11 when Tahoe’s snowpack was only […] SnowBrains | July 9, 2021 0 Comments
Is California in a New Climate? A Stanford Scientist Thinks So Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last month, you know the Pacific Northwest just experienced an unprecedented heatwave. Seattle, Washington, for example, just experienced their hottest temperature ever recorded of 108 degrees Fahrenheit on June 28th. For Standford climatologist Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, this heatwave that extended into northern California is further evidence of changing climate for The Golden […] Fire Joseph Puetz | July 7, 2021 0 Comments
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