After pummeling, scientists say California
storms were more hype than climate change
Los Angeles Times,
by
Louis Sahagun
Original Article
Posted By: Frederic F. Frew,
1/19/2023 12:52:30 PM
As California emerges from a two-week bout of deadly atmospheric rivers, a number of climate researchers say the recent storms appear to be typical of the intense, periodic rains the state has experienced throughout its history and not the result of global warming. Although scientists are still studying the size and severity of storms that killed 19 people and caused up to $1 billion in damage, initial assessments suggest the destruction had more to do with California's historic drought-to-deluge cycles, mountainous topography and aging flood infrastructure than it did with climate-altering greenhouse gasses.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Axeman 1/19/2023 1:08:34 PM (No. 1382452)
This has been the fifth major drenching in my lifetime. They aren't rare and they aren't increasing in frequency or intensity. There are more people affected because there are more people. The costs are going up because costs are higher.
17 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
marbles 1/19/2023 1:10:10 PM (No. 1382453)
What the heck is an " atmospheric river " ?
3 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Axeman 1/19/2023 1:16:22 PM (No. 1382457)
An atmospheric river is an west to east cold front with high moisture.
FTA: "But in a region whose water supply has been severely depleted by more than two decades of megadrought stoked by climate change,..."
There is no evidence supporting this statement. They say so earlier in the article.
8 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
felixcat 1/19/2023 1:17:55 PM (No. 1382458)
Good article about CA and its "drought".
https://amgreatness.com/2023/01/18/californias-mega-water-wasters/
5 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 1/19/2023 1:21:36 PM (No. 1382465)
The scientists have it right. These la Nina winters do tend to bring the rains. Cal, what a shame you didn't harvest this stormwater runoff like you do voting ballots.
16 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
chagrined 1/19/2023 1:22:49 PM (No. 1382467)
An atmospheric river is used to describe a long fetch of mid level moisture, in this case coming off the Pacific Ocean and inundating the U.S. west coast with precipitation. A lot of moisture involved and usually lasting several days if not a couple of weeks at a time.
This is truly shocking. No, not the atmospheric river, but reporting by one of the many propagandist outlets we're saddled with in this country. I suspect the true believers of MMGW are screeching and gnashing their teeth at this heinous breech in the global climate warming change fractured fairy tales we're used to seeing all the time.
8 people like this.
How many times in the last century has Highway 1 through Big Sur been closed due to a landslide? Heck, I was in Monterey in 1983 when a slide closed it for 11 months. "Atmospheric river" is a viable term, although it lacks the dramatic reporting impact of something like "bomb cyclone" (which I actually heard one of the news outlets call this series of storms).
3 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/19/2023 1:46:19 PM (No. 1382476)
At least five significant storms were shown on meteorologic maps before the first storm hit. They followed pretty much the same path west to east across the Pacific toward California. In the past. simillar storms have beern dubbed “the Pineapple Express”. The sequential nature of the heavy rains over relatively few days left no time for them to soak in… We needed it. We got it. We captured much of it for future use. No, we don’t waste water.
How are the tornado states doing?
3 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Birddog 1/19/2023 1:48:18 PM (No. 1382478)
Sommat "Inconveeeeeniant" as Biden just announced he is flying out to personally view the "Disaster".
1 person likes this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/19/2023 1:50:30 PM (No. 1382481)
Re #5,
https://www.lucianne.com/2023/01/19/los_angeles_county_collects_33_billion_gallons_of_rainwater_in_recent_storms_101256.html
2 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/19/2023 1:55:56 PM (No. 1382488)
One of the best things about the internet is that, when we see something we don’t understand, we can look it up. Easy peasy.
https://www.noaa.gov/stories/what-are-atmospheric-rivers
4 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 1/19/2023 2:04:36 PM (No. 1382497)
I want to go fishing at an atmospheric river! I can catch flying fish!
1 person likes this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
downnout 1/19/2023 2:08:04 PM (No. 1382499)
Quick! Someone tell Algore…he was in panic mode at Davos.
2 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
DVC 1/19/2023 2:42:03 PM (No. 1382518)
It's WEATHER. Man's activities have NO impact on the weather or climate. It does what it does, regardless of us. Like volcanoes, and earthquakes and comets and meteors and all the other things in life that we DO NOT CONTROL or even affect/
5 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
marbles 1/19/2023 2:47:30 PM (No. 1382521)
# 11 Yes we can ,and I did. I much prefer the discussion on here.
1 person likes this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
bogeegolf 1/19/2023 3:10:19 PM (No. 1382547)
Try all hype and zero climate change.
3 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Starboard_side 1/19/2023 3:30:51 PM (No. 1382565)
#10, in that same article, they admit that the recapture programs stated in 2018 only collected 228 million gallons, or less than 1% of the 33 billion.
This would indicate to me that the runoff in the mountains, and other places into the existing dams and reservoirs made up the other 99+%.
Every little bit helps, I know, but a desalinization plant likely provides much more consistent, dependable and reliable drinking water in the long-term.
I distinctly remember how the news folks in SoCal were surprised by the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns in the early 80's. Mentioning how they had a lot to learn about them which means they are still learning more about how they impact weather. Yet, some want people to believe the science is settled.
1 person likes this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
snowoutlaw 1/19/2023 3:48:09 PM (No. 1382574)
You would have to go back to 1964 to see a real flood in N Ca. 1969 wasn't bad either, I remember that one.
1 person likes this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
marbles 1/19/2023 6:00:03 PM (No. 1382644)
An " atmospheric river is climatechange/globalwarming new speak hyperbole for what we have always called cloud bands.
4 people like this.
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Be still, my heart -- the Los Angeles Times actually practicing journalism and breaking with the braying crowd of climate alarmists who call themselves journalists.