California's Drought

My gauge is showing 3/4" so far-Way better than last year at this time. Looks like my gauge is going to freeze solid for the next 3 nights, as sub-freezing temps are predicted. It's kind of strange that there wasn't a frost warning issued in our region. Some "Einstein" at NWS reasoned that it wasn't necessary since last weeks frost must have already wiped out most everything frost sensitive. My wife noticed the local weather prediction and we covered up all the citrus and potted plants that survived last week's frost. Lots of neighbors were caught off guard because of the lack of a frost warning issue and had quite a surprise waiting for them this morning.

Here comes the rain. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-atmospheric-river-prepare-20170105-story.html

What's that saying? "It never rains but it pours".  It certain appertains to California.

Keep safe.

Be careful what you wish for...

It is raining so hard this evening, we were already with 3 inches of water in our backyard before getting dark, YIKES!

I can't believe you have 3". That's a lot of water coming down the hill?? I bet you are so happy with the BTE on the slope.

My back lawn is saturated. Splash, splash like a little kid. Going on 0.8".

I feel for you guys up north.

I'm happy as a clam down here though.  Spent the day outside doing yard work.  Actually, raking, shredding, seeding and topping my dead dead dead lawn due to water restrictions and planting a bare root peach tree to replace the dead aspen.  Then shuffle hoed the crabgrass and dead grass off the hell strips and dug out my purple fountain grasses from my succulent mound, divided and filled the hell strips with space fountain grass which will use much less water come summer.  Need a new load of wood chips though.

I'm happy because I could actually dig a 2 foot deep hole and not have to chisel it like last year.  Last year, the ground was like concrete and then it would crumble to dust as you shoveled it out.  This year, beautiful moist dirt two feet down and then some.

Rain overnight tonight, 1/3rd inch expected, overcast Tuesday, and then another 1/3rd inch expected Wed/Thursday.  At that rate we're behind 'average' but SoCal Rain averages are all just one decent rain storm and a few days of drizzle anyway.

1.7" in 2 days. Tomorrow should be a break and there is always something that can be done outside. Harvest some cauliflower and broccoli leaves for Boffer's "cabbage" rolls. Pick snow peas so the new flowers will produce. Etc.

Just saw on TV pictures of the rain and flooding in California. Cal is a large area; is the rain in Northern California?  It looks terrible.  I hope all is well with our gardeners.

I keep meaning to get myself a large map of Canada and the United States and stick pins in it to show where our members are living.

Kelejan wrote:I keep meaning to get myself a large map of Canada and the United States and stick pins in it to show where our members are living.

Great idea

Isolated damages. I want to say that the areas with streams overflowing and prior fire damaged slopes are having the worst time.

Oh, no! Not the wine vineyards My daughter is stuck in Petaluma right now, staying the night with a good friend, thank goodness.

Yardslave's Carmel Valley is also in the photos. http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/dangerous-blizzard-flooding-as-new-storm-hits-california/ar-BBy3LF8?li=BBnb7Kz#image=BBy32K0|1

10 homes along the Carmel River have flooded over the last 2 days. Seems that the river's channel was blocked by fallen trees and debris and had nowhere to go but over the banks. Times were when the river banks were kept clear, but well meaning conservation efforts backfired on the people living along the banks where the river leveled out enough to let the water seek it's own course. Sandbagging has kept people's property from washing away, but they haven't keep the houses from being flooded- just helped give homeowners time to pack out some belonings.

But your home is safe??

More news and photos.  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6534101-181/storms-wash-away-chunk-of?ref=TSM&gallery=6533609&artslide=0

Lucky that no one was driving when it was washed away.  Is the I80 the main road down California?

I know we drove down to L.A. many years ago taking the coastal route going down and the road that passes through Las Vegas on our return.

I-80 runs approximately from the Bay Area toward Reno and Lake Tahoe, more or less west to east.

donnainzone5 wrote:I-80 runs approximately from the Bay Area toward Reno and Lake Tahoe, more or less west to east.

So we would have crossed on our way through Reno, where we stopped for the night and did some gambling.  Just the slots. 

ETA: Just remembered we went inland from SF to Reno so that would have been the
I-80?

If it was a freeway, yes, it would have been the I-80.  The 50 is south of there, and turns and twists every which way (or used to do so).

It was actually an exit off I-80 that washed out.  Even numbers are "E-W", odd numbers "N-S".  Highway-101 is the Pacific coastal route.  Highway 99 is the original inland N-S route with a newer I-5.

KJ,  If you went to Reno, it would have been I-80 which passes by North Lake Tahoe on the way to Reno.  If you gambled in South Shore (So. Lake Tahoe), it would have been I-50.

Donna, I-50 is a beautiful route, starting out fast, flat and boring as gains altitude out of Sacramento, but, yes, it does have some curves close to Tahoe. It is an easier drive now.

This week's Drought Monitor brought great news. The lower left picture is this week.That dark red area -- Exceptional Drought -- shrank a huge amount from last week. Last year most of the state was that color. Also, look how much of the state is white -- not even "dry" anymore. 

Well, that remaining red is the coastal San Gabriel mountains and Ventura coast that like NorCal this week got swirlied by mother nature.

I was so glad to see this in the news. I grew up in San Diego county.

Good news, for sure!

Giant sink hole forms in the town of Grass Valley, Highway 49 gold country, north of I-80 en route to North Tahoe.  This area is having trouble with too much rain.  Another week-long series of rain storms expected, mostly in No. CA.  Hope Mellen gets some in Visalia.    http://www.kcra.com/article/grass-valley-sinkhole-threatens-critical-drain-for-city/8609195

sanderson wrote:Giant sink hole forms in the town of Grass Valley (different from Audrey's Grass Valley near Fresno), Highway 49 gold country, north of I-80 en route to North Tahoe.  This area is having trouble with too much rain.  Another week-long series of rain storms expected, mostly in No. CA.  Hope Mellen gets some in Visalia.    http://www.kcra.com/article/grass-valley-sinkhole-threatens-critical-drain-for-city/8609195

I thought Audrey was in Squaw Valley (not the Olympic Squaw Valley).

...and I hope we get rain too.  We received a lot in the last storm but again, some went around us.  Pray this time it goes over the top.  

Mellen, You caught my mistake. Yes, Audrey is in Squaw Valley, Fresno Co.