California’s Massive Snowpack Will Lead to Historic Floods and More Climate Crisis Hand-Wringing

California’s Massive Snowpack Will Lead to Historic Floods and More Climate Crisis Hand-Wringing

California has been enjoying a historic level of rains and snowfall, leading to the drought declaration being dropped for most of the state.

As we are in the midst of spring, of course, the snowpack is melting….and this has consequences.

California’s snowpack is officially the greatest on record statewide, according to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), but they warn of the equally impressive record snowmelt forecasted.

“This year’s April one, snow result from our automated snow sensor network is actually greater than any other year that we have recorded since the snow sensor network was deployed roughly in the mid-1980s,” Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting unit for DWR said at a press conference.

“It’s looking like this year’s statewide snowpack will probably most likely be either the first or second-biggest snowpack on record dating back to 1950,” he continued.

The floods will be used by the media to drive the “climate crisis” narrative. The press is already gearing up for these stories.

Climate scientists warn that what Californians have lived through in recent months — atmospheric river after atmospheric river, catastrophic flooding, and one of the largest winter snowpack in years — is just a preview of what’s to come, with exponentially worse flooding predicted in future years. When atmospheric rivers reach land, they act like a hose dumping heavy moisture on the land, which can cause issues like flooding, landslides and power outages.

“As disruptive as this year’s events have been, we’re nowhere near to a plausible worst-case storm and flood scenario for California,” said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.

…Swain is unequivocal about the links between a warming climate due to the burning of fossil fuels and the significant increase in extreme flooding. A 2022 study Swain co-authored found that the warming climate has already doubled the probability of a megaflood caused by a string of extreme atmospheric rivers.

The above analysis assumes that warmer temperatures and enhanced moisture are bad. I must disagree, especially in a state that is an important player in American agriculture.

A failing infrastructure will contribute to California’s upcoming flooding woes. For example, residents are beginning to discover the levees and other flood protections haven’t been properly maintained. No thought has been given to addressing what happens when the region experiences a cyclic heavy rain/snow season.

Speaking to The Washington Post after the meeting, [almond farmer Jeff] Noorigian and a few others expressed frustration over how board leadership has been reactive during the drought years and woefully mismanaged their “deteriorating system” compared with neighboring districts.

These men, who belong to generational farming families, said they know the land and what happens when it floods. If the water runs into an “uncontrolled ditch, then our system is uncontrolled,” Noorigian explained. At the same time, they say the district is missing out on a huge opportunity to repair the over-pumped ground by letting precious water rush toward already flooded communities farther downstream instead of funneling it from the swollen river to store and put it back into the fields, orchards and ponds.

“We could be proactive and aggressive with recharging our aquifer,” Noorigian said. “Instead, we are doing nothing.”

The lack of attention to California’s water infrastructure has spanned decades. The state hadn’t built significant water infrastructure since 1977 when the state had 17.6 million fewer residents.

Five years ago, Jerry Brown announced the official end of a grueling six-year drought. Other than passing resolutions to “make conservation a way of life,” the former governor didn’t do much to improve the situation. After rains resumed, interest waned in fixing our water supply issues.

These days, the Newsom administration and Legislature have done little more than engage in water shaming. They want to badger us into using less water, as the state imposes tougher water-use standards on water districts and some districts (especially in the Bay Area) embrace water rationing.

In 2017, I covered a spillway failure at the Oroville Dam that led to an evacuation. I sure hope the dam has been properly repaired and maintained since then.

Furthermore, I doubt that a trace gas has greatly altered the California rain/drought cycle. On the other hand, enhanced solar activity might be playing a more robust role than appreciated.

We’re close to the next solar maximum, predicted to begin in 2025.

The solar maximum represents a peak in solar activity when the Sun’s magnetic field reaches its strongest and most disordered and dynamic point.

This increased solar activity can cause extreme space weather events, including solar flares and eruptions. It can also disrupt radio communications and the power grid and have serious health consequences for astronauts.

The California budget is now in deficit. The state has missed its opportunity to address water infrastructure properly. Anyone who lives in areas with a heavy snowpack would do well to prepare accordingly.

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