Quick Weather Report

While all of California is classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as being in a ”severe drought” or “extreme drought”, we’re fortunate here in Laytonville’s Long Valley to have an aquifer that’s been recharged once again by Mother Nature, just as it was last year when we received the lowest rainfall ever, a little over 29 inches.

Although forecasts for this year correctly called for another year of dry weather, I predicted in my annual August forecast that Northern Mendocino County would most likely see an increase in precipitation this rain year compared to last year’s drought bummer.

I said I thought we’d get at least 40 inches of precipitation that is about two-thirds of our historical average of 67 inches.

This past Monday, April 11, we received .76 inches of combined rain, snow, and sleet. Then on Wednesday and Thursday another 2.30 inches fell, which left us standing with a combined total of 3.06 inches from the storm event. It also pushed us to a season total of 42.17 inches, thus hitting the 40-inches predicted back in the late summer.

I just lucked out with my forecast, that’s it pays it to be Irish I guess.

So with another two-and-a half months of the rain season left we’ll be getting a few more wet storms passing through.

The forecast for the next two weeks is showing 4 or 5 days of probable light to moderate rain, so we can probably expect to end up perhaps hitting the 45inch mark.

This all good news in an otherwise bad news cycle concerning this extended drought, but at least we’re relatively better off than a year ago