California's Drought

A girlfriend of mine locally has a weather station set up - she's about 2 miles from me and we were over 8 inches of rain in January.  We're really, really soggy.  We're supposed to get a week or two to dry out then at the end of the month more rain.  We need as much as our ground can hold and then a break, wash, rinse and repeat!!!

Much better than it all falling in one day then nothing more for ages. You are so right, Audrey-Jeanne; some rain, break, wash and repeat. Many times.

I do that when I water my plants after a dry spell. It gives the ground time to absorb it instead of running off to the drains.

I know I have posted this photo before, but this current rain is so needed.  It was looking like El Nino was not going to come through this winter. Bottom of the meniscus in the test tube is 1.4" so far.  I checked around the State [Yuba City, Rocklin, Carmel Valley, San Diego, etc] at it looks like there will be rain over most of the State.

I am happy for you in California.  May it keep going without flash flooding.

Woke up to the backyard under several inches of water.  Hopefully the month of drying out will allow it to percolate (our septic tank is in the backyard an has been iffy in these rains).  

If you guys got 1.4 inches I wonder how much we got?  We're usually double.  EDIT to add:  I just saw on the Hanford National Weather Service that Hume Lake got 2.25, so we're probably right in the middle at about 1.8

Death Valley in the spring
http://www.liftable.com/haleyjones/super-bloom-death-valley-lifetime-experience/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=TPNNPages&utm_content=2016-03-09&utm_campaign=manualpost

Beautiful, Sanderson! I wasn't able to turn on the volume since I'm at work. Does he mention the names of the different flowers? If so I'll listen at home since they might be something to have here on the Cape with the summer droughts we've been experiencing lately.

CC

No names. These are short blooming flowers suitable for hot environments. Here today, gone tomorrow so I don't think they would be good for home garden enjoyment. However, I may be wrong, I've been wrong a couple times in the past.

Rain and hail.  The gutters couldn't even begin to keep up.  Front entry and yard
Back yard.  Never put the beds under the drip lines!

WOW! Rain! That's great...!

Wow, I wish we would get more down south, It has been hit and miss. few hours last night and now nothing in the 15 day forecast.

yayayayay

We had 2.59 inches last week and 16.99 inches since mid-December when my friend installed her weather station.  

That would be why my septic tank is trying to float to the surface (*just kidding.... sort of...!)

Seamammal, I would even share 1/2" with you. Wish you could get some rain, also.

0.8" during the 24 hours Friday. 80% chance of rain Sunday.

sanderson wrote:Seamammal,  I would even share 1/2" with you.  Wish you could get some rain, also.

0.8" during the 24 hours Friday.  80% chance of rain Sunday.

Have you got rain barrels out to catch some of that rain to use later when you are back in drought conditions.

There really isn't any room for rain barrels.

Rain warning tonight for Fresno.  1-2" of rain expected 9-11 PM.  Check your local weather to see if you need to protect new seedlings. I would rather run around yelling "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" and feel like a fool , than not give everyone this warning.

Oh my...  Where did you see this report.  Accuweather only said 1/2" or so.  I have notice "accu" isn't a very accurate term for them!  

I have some of my larger seedlings planted, the smaller ones are still in the greenhouse so I'm okay.  Lawn tractor is covered, compost pile covered, mulch is down in most of the garden areas which helps capture as much of the rain as possible. 

I transplanted 3 cottonwood root starts today (they multiply through their roots) down my driveway.  The rain should help get them established.  I have such a hard time getting the wood chips I use for mulch that I'm going to grow a lot of it myself.  Cottonwoods put out lower, sucker branches each year and as I trim them up I'll chip them :-)  PLUS, I planted them intentionally under the power lines so the power company will have to come here to trim them and I can get a load or two of wood chips out of them, lol!!!

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:PLUS, I planted them intentionally under the power lines so the power company will have to come here to trim them and I can get a load or two of wood chips out of them, lol!!!

Aren't you the clever one!

The Weather Channel had the warning.  So, after scurrying around putting up plastic, making sure everything that needs to be covered is covered, I come back inside and . . .  The Red warning is gone.

What a bunch of teases!!!!  It's saying .6 inches for us here.  We'll see.  Our ground has dried out quite a bit so it can soak in again.  We have "springs" still flowing in spots though, hubby has had to trench across the driveway to keep one of the springs flowing down the property instead of swamping.

Well, it was a good practice run.  One of the nice things about having the PVC holders in the beds and leaving most of the frames in place.  For the new tomato bed (2' x 7') I just swamped out the tall vertical poles and used short gables off 2 other beds.  All but 1 bed is 2' wide so everything is interchangeable exceptfor specific ridge poles.  I only covered the newly planted starts.

sanderson wrote:

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:PLUS, I planted them intentionally under the power lines so the power company will have to come here to trim them and I can get a load or two of wood chips out of them, lol!!!

Aren't you the clever one!

The Weather Channel had the warning.  So, after scurrying around putting up plastic, making sure everything that needs to be covered is covered, I come back inside and . . .  The Red warning is gone.

"Clever" or devious?  

My friend is showing 1.32 inches since yesterday for our valley up here.  14 inches since mid December.  More to come!

1.1" in my area! I covered the beds again when I went to bed, in case there was a deluge. It's light raining as I type and everything is uncovered again. Loving it!!

What's happening in the rest of CA?

Just a trace in my part of OC. My rain gauge showed about 1/8 inch.  Got a little more last night, still dark so haven't read the gauge, just firing up the smoker for beef candy today.