Sometimes, higher powers respond to our supplications.
Water behind Lake Powell
At the end of summer, the water level of Lake Powell, fed by the Colorado River, was at record lows, and there were worries about power generation, as well as supplying needed water downstream.
But then a miracle occurred: a series of atmospheric rivers pushed into the Southwest, dropping immense amounts of precipitation over the Colorado River drainage (see below)
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Rivers rose dramatically, and the water level was rapidly elevated behind the dam:
Plenty more water will flow into the Colorado River during the next week, as shown by the predicted hydrograph below for a location upstream of the dam.
The Yakima Valley, which had low snowpack feeding the Yakima River, received localized heavy rain at the end of the summer, allowing water restrictions to end (see below; blue is much above normal precipitation).
And now the upcoming water miracle.
The 15-day precipitation forecasts predict large amounts of precipitation for Northern California, whose reservoirs need a refill after the summer, and the Pacific Northwest, which has been relatively dry this autumn.
I’ve read that over the course of these storms in the SW as many as ~20 trillion gallons have fallen in that area, an impressively large number, inconceivable really. But years ago, out of idle curiosity, without considering snow in the mountains, I very conservatively calculated that Western Washington, in a below average rainfall season, receives in excess of 10 trillion gallons of just rainfall. Professor Mass will likely correct my number, because it wasn’t careful, and may be erroneously large. But still, part of the spectacle of the SW is that the public isn’t accustomed to seeing in that area what the Pacific NW sees annually. Mom Nature can, and often does, humble little old arrogant humanity.
ReplyDeleteFor a more readily conceivable number:
DeleteA median size residential property (5200 square feet) in Seattle receives about 125,000 gallons of rainfall in an average year.
ismlucky13 - AI advises that historically , before Seattle began down sizing them, there were conservatively 130,000 residential lots inside Seattle. A conservative estimate of annual rainfall then (big guesstimate) is 125,000 x 130,000=1.625×10¹⁰ That’s an obvious fraction of trillions, but it makes a point, since Seattle is a fraction of Western Washington.
DeleteThe Left won’t like these miracles. Water miracles interfere with their religion of climate alarmism.
ReplyDeleteThe Seattle Times will find a way to twist it into a climate calamity.
ReplyDeleteWhen disaster is your business, everything smells like death.
DeleteSadly, I expect you will be proven correct. The Times' Climate Lab seems to find a way to turn positive news for the climate into something negative. Its most regrettable. The Times as a whole is a pretty good paper. But Climate Lab doesn't do it any favors.
DeleteEl Nino comes through! Great timing.
ReplyDeleteLiterally scriptural "he lets his rain fall upon the just and the unjust" so be nice to nasty people and you'll be like God in a sense
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much sediment just got pushed into these reservoirs? That’s perhaps a more fascinating topic.
ReplyDeleteWould the amount of sediment in the reservoirs negatively impact the amount of the water that can be stored in them?
DeleteWhen you blogging bout the traditional proverbial thanksgiving flood in the making and the atmo river in forecast
ReplyDeleteThere is TV guy projecting huge storm headed for Seattle end this week and next. ???
ReplyDeleteThe NWS has issued wind warnings for the coast tomorrow (November 6th). And weather.com is calling for strong winds across several days along the coast over the course of the next week. Not exactly unusual at this time of year for the coast. But it is a sharp contrast from the decent weather we had in October.
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