In 2023, California experienced a number of snowstorms and heavy rains, and its water supply was greatly increased. In the newly released California Water Resources report, it was learned that California's reservoirs and groundwater resources were replenished. The report describes "a significant increase in the amount of water available from the Central Valley Water Project following a significant increase in reservoir levels. Shasta Reservoir capacity increased from 59% to 81%. The St. Louis reservoir was also 97 percent full last month. Record snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains also holds additional storage capacity.
Mediterranean coastal climate
According to the latest weather report issued in March 2023: "Drought in Europe"
Large parts of southern and Western Europe have been affected by significant anomalies in soil moisture and river flows due to unusually dry and warm winters.
Snow water equivalent in the Alps was well below the historical average, even for the winter of 2021-2022. This will lead to a serious reduction in the contribution of snowmelt to river flows in the Alpine region in spring and early summer 2023.
The effects of the new drought are already visible in France, Spain and northern Italy, raising concerns about water supplies, agriculture and energy production.
Seasonal forecasts show warmer than average temperature levels in Europe in the spring, while precipitation forecasts are characterized by higher spatial variability and uncertainty. Close monitoring and appropriate water use plans are needed to cope with the current high-risk season, which is critical for water resources.
River discharge
As of February 2023, the Low Flow Index (LFI) shows critical values mainly in France, the United Kingdom, southern Germany, Switzerland and northern Italy. The reduced flow is clearly related to the severe lack of precipitation over the past few months. In February 2023, river discharge in the Rhone and Po river basins was very low and decreasing.
Dry conditions associated with potential impacts on water availability are occurring over vast areas of Western and northwestern Europe and several smaller regions in southern Europe, and these late winter conditions are similar to those that led to severe to extreme conditions later that year in 2022 and impacts later that year.
The Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) for the end of February 2023 shows southern Spain, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, northern Italy, Switzerland, most of the Mediterranean islands, the Black Sea region of Romania and Bulgaria, and Greece.
A continuous lack of precipitation and a series of above-average temperatures for several weeks resulted in negative soil moisture and abnormal river flows, particularly in southern Europe. Vegetation and crops at the start of the growing season have not yet been significantly affected, but the current situation could become grim in the coming months if temperature and precipitation anomalies persist through spring 2023.
Post time: Apr-24-2023