Is South Pasadena Still in a Drought?

Like all Southern Californians, I have been trying to conserve water. We all know that rainfall has been scarce over the past few years, and that measures have been taken by a number of state and local governments to reduce water use. We've been told that California is in a drought. However, just what is the definition of a drought? When can we consider the drought over? Have the past few weeks of torrential rainfall eased or eliminated the drought conditions in South Pasadena? It may even rain this week as well. Here are some facts and figures to help us all understand where we stand in relation to drought conditions.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center established in 1995 and based in Lincoln, Nebraska - a drought is simply "a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time - usually a season or more - resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector". Using 350 expert observers around the country, this organization synthesizes data from many different indicators as well as condition reports from around the country each week to produce a drought map.

To understand the severity of any water shortage, it is important to know the "normal" average rainfall in a region. Here in South Pasadena we usually average just over 20 inches of rain per year. The average across the entire United States is roughly double that at over 39 inches per year. The normal amount of sunny days each year is 283. We're all aware that the climate here in Southern California is dry and sunny - most of the time. According to data provided by the City of Los Angeles, the average monthly rainfall in January is 3.12 inches. In February the average rainfall is slightly higher at 3.30 inches. This is from precipitation data gathered since 1877.

In January of 2017 we received 8.38 inches of rain versus the historical average of 3.12 inches. February rainfall totals are pending. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measures rainfall totals starting in October of the calendar year and so far estimates rainfall totals for the Los Angeles region to be at 200 percent of normal since October. Last year Los Angeles received just under 7 inches of rain. This year Los Angeles has already accumulated over 16 inches.

As a result of the recent heavy rains, the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report advises that less than 20% of California faces any drought conditions and there are no longer any California regions facing "extreme" or "exceptional" drought.

It's not just the rain that hits the ground which impacts our water needs here in South Pasadena - it is also the amount of snow pack that has accumulated. During the warmer months this snow pack melts and provides the fresh water for our region. The California Department of Water Resources reports that as of February 23, 2017 the statewide snow pack is at 191 percent of normal for this time of year. Looking at just the Southern California region that figure jumps to 212 percent of normal snow pack. That is a very positive sign indicating that any drought conditions are certainly less severe than in past years.

There is also the positive impact of recent water conservation legislation in California. We should all be proud of the fact that we Californians have reduced our water use by 23.9 percent compared with the same period in 2013. This reduction in use provides enough water to supply 6.5 million Californians with water for one year.

So while it looks like South Pasadena is receiving enough water for the time being, experts caution those in Southern California to be vigilant. Jeanine Jones, Deputy Drought Manager with the Department of Water Resources suggests, "We should keep in mind the need to be prepared for both flood and drought in any given year because the state's precipitation has very high annual variability".

To learn more about the current drought conditions, please visit: drought.ca.gov.