WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.150 --> 00:00:02.880 - [Narrator] In a complete 180, a lot of central California 2 00:00:02.880 --> 00:00:04.290 and California's coasts 3 00:00:04.290 --> 00:00:06.660 do not have any sort of drought this month. 4 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:07.830 And you might be asking yourself, 5 00:00:07.830 --> 00:00:09.405 why am I even hearing about this? 6 00:00:09.405 --> 00:00:11.220 Why is there a video about drought in California? 7 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:12.600 Here's something to consider. 8 00:00:12.600 --> 00:00:14.970 Last year, the state looked very different. 9 00:00:14.970 --> 00:00:17.089 According to the US drought monitor, 10 00:00:17.089 --> 00:00:21.180 the entire state was experiencing either severe drought 11 00:00:21.180 --> 00:00:22.920 or extreme drought. 12 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:25.740 So most of California was bone dry last year 13 00:00:25.740 --> 00:00:27.090 but as many people have seen in the news 14 00:00:27.090 --> 00:00:30.090 or even experienced themselves, California has been hit 15 00:00:30.090 --> 00:00:32.760 by a series of consecutive atmospheric rivers 16 00:00:32.760 --> 00:00:34.110 that have brought winter storm 17 00:00:34.110 --> 00:00:36.150 after winter storm to the west coast. 18 00:00:36.150 --> 00:00:38.520 And because those storms have brought so much precipitation, 19 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:40.800 drought has literally been deleted off the map. 20 00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:42.900 For starters, state reservoirs 21 00:00:42.900 --> 00:00:45.390 are finally increasing their water levels. 22 00:00:45.390 --> 00:00:47.310 Last year state officials were worried 23 00:00:47.310 --> 00:00:49.650 because some of the largest water reservoirs 24 00:00:49.650 --> 00:00:50.790 were at extreme lows 25 00:00:50.790 --> 00:00:53.400 and there were even water restrictions being put into place. 26 00:00:53.400 --> 00:00:55.980 But this year those reservoirs actually growing again 27 00:00:55.980 --> 00:00:57.660 and some of them are at levels 28 00:00:57.660 --> 00:00:59.130 that are considered almost full. 29 00:00:59.130 --> 00:01:00.270 There's also been a lot of snow 30 00:01:00.270 --> 00:01:03.210 across the mountains, and historically low Snowpack 31 00:01:03.210 --> 00:01:05.490 which California did see last year, 32 00:01:05.490 --> 00:01:07.680 means that there's going to be less snow melt in the spring 33 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.840 and less snow melt means that if there's a drought, 34 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.090 a lot of rivers and reservoirs that are struggling 35 00:01:12.090 --> 00:01:14.550 to maintain water aren't gonna get the boost that they need. 36 00:01:14.550 --> 00:01:16.140 But that's not the case this year at all. 37 00:01:16.140 --> 00:01:17.130 There's so much snow, 38 00:01:17.130 --> 00:01:19.440 especially around the Sierra Nevada mountains. 39 00:01:19.440 --> 00:01:21.150 However, the heavy precipitation 40 00:01:21.150 --> 00:01:23.460 hasn't just been a positive thing for California. 41 00:01:23.460 --> 00:01:25.500 It's disrupted a lot of people's lives. 42 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:28.740 Communities have had to deal with landslides, mudslides, 43 00:01:28.740 --> 00:01:32.430 flooded roads, road closures, power outages 44 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:34.770 and some people around San Bernard Bernardino area 45 00:01:34.770 --> 00:01:36.900 were actually trapped in their homes in March 46 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:38.730 because of how high the snow had piled up 47 00:01:38.730 --> 00:01:40.470 around their homes, and there's no telling 48 00:01:40.470 --> 00:01:42.000 when California's going to experience 49 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.230 another atmospheric river. 50 00:01:43.230 --> 00:01:44.460 So there's gonna be more reporting 51 00:01:44.460 --> 00:01:45.870 on this in the near future. 52 00:01:45.870 --> 00:01:47.550 Thanks for watching Extreme Earth. 53 00:01:47.550 --> 00:01:49.380 We're sorry that we have to constantly remind you 54 00:01:49.380 --> 00:01:50.840 about all of this. 55 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:53.423 (gentle music)