Bomb Cyclone Helped Increase Water Level in California Reservoirs

It'll take a lot more than one storm to end California's long-running drought, but the recent bomb cyclone that made landfall on the West Coast certainly helped.

While another storm of a similar scale is unlikely to hit the West Coast this week, there will be many rounds of rainy weather that will keep things moving in the right direction.

Several of California's reservoirs were at record low levels before the advent of an atmospheric river of moisture between Oct. 24 and Oct. 25.

For example, Lake Oroville's hydroelectric power plant had to shut down for a brief period owing to low water levels, but it has now reopened thanks to heavy rains over the Feather River watershed (the river system that drains into Lake Oroville).

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Increased Water Volume

The volume of water that flowed into Lake Oroville in the aftermath of the bomb cyclone was incredible, giving some optimism that the drought might be relieved. Before the storm, the lake level was 629 feet above sea level; however, the lake level had risen 30 feet in just over a week, reaching 659 feet on Oct. 30.

The recent stormy circumstances also resulted in a significant surge of water in Lake Tahoe. Lake levels had gone below the natural rim earlier in October, effectively cutting the lake off from its sole outflow, the Truckee River. Instead, the lake levels have risen roughly an inch over the natural rim, allowing water to pour into the river following heavy rain and feet of snow in the mountains.

The lake is deemed full when water levels are roughly 6 feet over the natural rim, so there's still a long way to go.

Many other lakes and reservoirs have had significant increases in lake levels, notably Folsom Lake, which has risen 19 feet, and Lake Shasta, California's largest reservoir, which has risen 3 feet.

Still a Long Way to Go

Although the recent rain has improved reservoir levels, there is still a long way to go to alleviate drought and water-use problems. Fortunately, there will be more opportunities for rain and mountain snow along the West Coast this week.

Weather Forecasts

As a storm moves inland, it will deliver the first bout of rain and mountain snow to the West Coast on Monday. The San Francisco Bay Area and areas north will see significant rainfall from this storm, leaving the rest of Central and Southern California dry.

The rain will move inland throughout the day on Monday, extending throughout the Interstate 5 corridor from Northern California to Washington State. As the storm goes through, communities including Medford, Eugene, Salem, and Portland, Oregon, may expect a rainy commute.

By Tuesday, most of the wet and wintry weather will have moved into the Intermountain West, bringing with it another fresh layer of snow for the central Rockies' steep terrain.

In regions like Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Utah's Uinta Rockies, and northern Colorado's mountains, conditions may approach winter weather advisory criteria. However, any dangerous circumstances in these areas should be temporary, as dry weather is forecast on Wednesday as a ridge of high pressure rises in.

Another storm is likely to hit the West Coast this week, and it won't be long before another, perhaps more powerful disturbance arrives late Wednesday or early Thursday.

This will most certainly affect much of the same regions as the early-week storm, namely Central and Northern California.

Also Read: How the Arrival of La Niña Can Possibly Worsen the Incoming Winter Drought

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