Weather santa cruz march
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Water suppliesĬompared to much of Southern California and the West, Santa Cruz County is unique in that all of its drinking water supplies are locally sourced: no water is pumped in, the region relies solely on rainfall and stream flows. “We’re basically a season and a half short - we’re running that deficit,” Null said. To Null, the current drought is a lot like the dry conditions that plagued the Central Coast from 2012 to 2015. “If it weren’t for this year’s rainfall, it would be a lot more dire, like other parts of the state,” Null said. Still, Jan Null, a meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Half Moon Bay, said that compared to regions in Northern California and the Central Valley, the Santa Cruz County drought is less severe. Some shrubs have already turned brown in Santa Cruz County, as pictured on a UC Santa Cruz campus hiking trail. The same thing happened during the 2020-2021 rainy season. During the 2019-2020 wet season, Santa Cruz accumulated just roughly half of the rainfall amounts expected during a normal year. Ben Lomond collected nearly 40 inches of rain during the same time period, 81% of the annual average. The Santa Cruz Mountains have fared better. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data shows in Santa Cruz nearly 20 inches of rain has fallen since July 1, 2021, 60% of the city’s typical yearly rainfall totals. Vegetation in the Santa Cruz Mountains is on par with extremely dry fuels in Northern California, Clements said, where hills usually spotted with wildflowers are turning brown. But the showers didn’t mean much for wildfire risk, Craig Clements, professor of meteorology at San Jose State and director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, wrote in an email. Loch Lomond swelled to 90% capacity, after an unexpected March rain, compared to a 70% level during the same time last year. Warm temperatures, mixed with a rainfall deficit and parched vegetation, heightens the chance wildfire could erupt. According to Wilson, Central Coast vegetation has dried out to moisture levels typically seen around in mid-May. San Lorenzo River water levels are at critical levels, Santa Cruz Water Commission officials reported during a Monday meeting. While October and December deluges gave Loch Lomond – Santa Cruz County’s sole drinking water reservoir – a much-needed boost, the region’s stream flows are quickly dwindling.