It was a popular topic all winter, eventually leading to a State of Emergency: California is undergoing a drought. And not just any drought, an exceptional drought (also referred to as D4, the highest rank on the Drought Intensity Scale). However, this didn't just happen overnight. Droughts are considered a creeping disaster: they have a slow onset (in this case four years in the making), making it difficult to determine when a drought actually starts, and harder yet, when it will end. So what exactly exacerbated these drought conditions?
Almost half the state of California is under a D4 (Exceptional Drought) Condition, nearly double the area from a year ago. Image courtesy of the USDA and the National Drought Mitigation Center.
While the East Coast was stuck with below-average temperatures and frequent precipitation events for a good portion of the winter, the West Coast featured the exact opposite. Above-average temperatures and a subborn area of high pressure prevented a good amount of the moisture laden Pacific storm systems from hitting California. Without the typical rain and snow over the winter and California now exiting the typical wet season, the state is in even bigger trouble for the upcoming summer.
What does this mean for California, and what implications can it have here on the East Coast? Water prices are rising due to its scarcity, wildfires are on the increase, and water may have to be diverted away from the ecosystems and into the communities. This means less water for agriculture and fisheries that greatly depend on it. Nearly half of the country's fruits and vegetables come from this great state, which could mean price hikes or shortages of grapes, strawberries, and nuts sometime down the road. Livestock may be impacted as well, hence a higher cost for milk and dairy products for the entire country.
Over the summer, conservation and water reusage will need to be implemented to help California deal with this drought. The governor has already put water restrictions in place, which should help preserve the water supply. Although there is a good deal of uncertainty as to when the drought will end, it will certainly serve as a learning process. Hopefully the lessons learned from this drought will prepare not only the state, but also the rest of the country, the next time a 1-in-50 year drought occurs.
