General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPhoto from space re: California Drought:
These two photos compare the lush snow pack from last year with the Big Nothing of snow on the California mountains and foothills this year:
http://knowmore.washingtonpost.com/2014/01/24/you-can-see-californias-drought-from-space/
countryjake
(8,554 posts)tandot
(6,671 posts)horrible.
We never ever get rain in the summer ... so, not having any rain during the winter or spring will be devastating.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)And what happens after a drought like this? Well, often the first real storms that come through are nothing but thunder and lightning. And when things are bone dry, the lightning is devastating in terms of the number of fires it sets off.
tandot
(6,671 posts)they haven't seen rain for months ... everything is very dry ... one spark and the whole area will disintegrate
We live in an incorporated area of Sac and there are a lot of houses between us and the dry grassy areas.
I agree with you, I feel ill to just think about it. I never wanted rain as badly ...
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)That should be covered with the white stuff. It is Sta Ysabel, this time of year that should be in white stuff.
A not so good picture (I used the phone, instead of the camera) from Ramona, which usually is green this time of the year.
Nope, not looking forwards to the official fire season, at all.
And we got some water right now, measurable yes.. enough to dirty your windshield.
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)I am still wearing shorts today.
niyad
(113,582 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)2naSalit
(86,802 posts)there are few places that you can get enough water to send someplace else. Where are you going to get water from?
Up here in the Rockies we're about ten to fifteen FEET short of our normal snowpack and the stuff on the ground now is weeks old and with sub-zero temps nearly every night sucking the moisture out of it... it's like concrete and dust. It's great stuff for snowmobiles and some skiing but for a water resource, forget it. We are already expecting major fires earlier than usual, all the stuff that didn't burn in the past two summers will likely burn this year because it's already so dry. Unless we get royally dumped on with lots of snow by May, we and everyone downhill from here are toast.
An ugly thing about tar sands and fracking is that they are using up more water in a month than whole states use in a year. All the more reason to get motivated in opposition to this crap.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)2naSalit
(86,802 posts)some of that extra snow and get a jump on that then. It's a long haul to CA and if folks don't like the idea of paying a lot for water now, this year may be the test of that resolve.
Just sayin'.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)aggiesal
(8,924 posts)Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)1000words
(7,051 posts)There's time to recover, but something needs to happen soon.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)rains do come and they will with a vengeance when they will do no good but create floods and erosion.
annm4peace
(6,119 posts)makes sure to plant a garden this year and store up on nuts.
tofuandbeer
(1,314 posts)CrispyQ
(36,527 posts)Are the business park lawns still getting watered? That's a major bone of contention with me, living in Colorado. Acres & acres of business park lawn that gets watered, usually during the business day (!), often times, the sprinkler heads shooting water into the street or on the sidewalk instead of the lawn. Some places are so poorly maintained you can see the lawn starting to turn brown where the sprinkler head is not pointing in the right direction.
Ok, off my soapbox now. No, wait! Let's talk about all the residential lawn that hardly anyone ever uses. I live in a cul-de-sac of six & I think only two neighbors ever use their front yard, but we all water & mow them.
I have a climate denier in my family who spouted the ignorant "Well if there's global warming why is it so cold?" a few weeks ago. I told him to Google Australia. Maybe I'll send him this link, too, for all the good it will do. I don't know how you reach people like this. He is willfully ignorant. He does not like smart people.
America has had a life of so much excess & ease for so long now, cutting back is going to be like pulling teeth. I certainly don't see people in my area cutting back. The line at McDonalds backs out into the street & it has two drive through lanes. The traffic to Walmart is non-stop & it's not old beaters filling the parking lot, but mostly very nice cars & SUVs. I realize I live in an affluent area, but I think a lot of people are living large & doing it paycheck to paycheck. I don't see a very bright future. I've always been a glass half empty type, though.
Revanchist
(1,375 posts)It can be found here
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Your property, you are setting the whole neighborhood up for a huge fire.
I complained to my HOA that the homes and properties owned by banks were all neglected.
Although I agree with where you are coming from: it has to be common sense stuff. In my area, if you don't want to waste water on a lawn, the HOA does allow you to gravel over the area.
dickthegrouch
(3,184 posts)another 12000 new residential units in the North 1st Street area.
No new housing without "fully funded" water provision!
Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)We are getting a chance of rain Monday or tuesday, but that it will be nothing to speak of. .03 inches or less. that means a dusting of snow. This si the week they are gonna shut the resorts down I think. if they can't make it to Prezident day, they are gonna shut em down. I think One resort will close this week (Sierra)
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)WhiteTara
(29,722 posts)There is absolutely no snow pack! It will be a tinder box this summer.