AquariusRadar

I wonder if these big solar storms impact the weather in some ways? Does anyone know if there is any studies of solar flares and day to day earth tropospheric weather?

It varies depending city and amount used. Most water authorities use tiered rates. Don't know exactly how they are used but most likely big users get a discount? At my old place in Lancaster -at the edge of town- the rate is now $30 service fee plus 18 cents cubic foot. I could never keep the bill under $70. Its obvious an acre foot of Cal Water at $600 acre foot (41,280 cubic feet) provides a lot of room for over head costs or maybe profit? for the municipal water company. 0.18 X 41,280= $7000 plus! LA water is cheaper at only about 13 cents per cubic foot. They also use a tiered system so some pay a lot more.

The cost of Cal Water finally below $600 acre foot. Must be because the Kern River diversion into the Cal Water system last week. Hopefully future water bills will be lower. Pure snowmelt so hardly any processing required.

West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona had some good showers today. Maybe the Monsoon has started up?

This article outlines Canada's plea for help in the Western provinces Western Canada Fires. https://news.yahoo.com/canada-seeks-foreign-help-fight-213125221.html There are 3 ways to put out a forest fire; (1)remove the flammable material (trees), (2)reduce the temperature below the combustion point, (3)remove the oxygen. Firefighters use water and flame retardant foam air drops for all 3. But it's expensive. Ground crews use water and dirt again effective for all 3. But that to is expensive and slow. One of the best tools for fire fighting is smoke which only impacts 3- the removal of oxygen. If you have ever burned leaves in the yard or field, you've probably noted that burning into the wind is much more effective than burning downwind. The smoke of the downwind fire smothers the fire by displacing good air- oxygen making the fire very slow to burn downwind-in very light winds. Strong winds provide so much fresh air as to make the smoke ineffective. For ground crews at the active flame front, smoke generators can work where there is no available water. And there is a continuous supply of leaves. twigs, etc. to charge the smoke generators. The action of smoke is very fast in eliminating the flame. When water is available, the twin attacks of smoke and water together can knock down the flames. Operators of course would have to wear breathing apparatus. The smoke generators would be powered by battery.

Scientists continue to predict a strong El Nino condition for late 2023. The one of the contributing scientists in this article El Nino prediction advertises the prediction as "daring"? https://phys.org/news/2023-05-stage-strong-el-nio-late.html#:~:text=The predictions point to a moderate strength El,a stronger El Niño coming in late 2023. The satellite view indicates some increasing ITCZ thunderstorm activity as expected this time of year. The near surface clouds south of Hawaii continue the normal east to west travel. Tremendous heat in Southeast Asia could be the prelude to a strong El Nino if the heated surface water moves east to the central/east pacific. I still think the warmer waters will be blunted by cold water of the Humboldt current, making for a mild El Nino, hopefully quelling the drought in Kansas.

The Redwoods in Big Basin Park getting some nice showers. 1.7 inches at Bonney Doon Fire Station.

Huge melt and flood in the days of May. This article original from the LAtimes spells trouble ahead.Melt trouble https://www.yahoo.com/news/despite-recent-heat-wave-most-120056591.html I once argued California had enough storage. Wrong. We need it now with this whopper snowpack.

Arbor Day. Plant a tree.

I'm sure Dan Hurd makes a lot more money with his prospecting videos on U Tube than he does picking up little pieces of gold from the rivers. He probably has been in the Sierras at some point but I think now he mostly remains in the Fraser river BC area. He, like several others on U tube, is a colorful character, and I enjoy watching the gold videos. Most of them do it for the fun of the search-recreation. Back in the day, so did I.

More gold prospecting stories as a result of this winters big storms. Gold story They are right-the extra rainfall means more erosion and more gold being flushed into the streams. Also it means more gold will be present immediately below the 2150' elevation of Ancient Eldorado. Hiking along this terrain elevation in the areas where it crosses the old path of Eldorado will be another place to look. Plus you can avoid the icy water of the stream channels. https://www.yahoo.com/news/biggest-gold-rush-years-predicted-085858286.html

That big red drought blob in Kansas gonna make the cost at the local donut shop go up!

Replace damaged trees. Dig that hole and get your tree to plant. Only one more week till Arbor Day 28 April. A really amazing tree is the bald cypress. With a little help the bald cypress is a fast grower. Add a little pH increaser- the kind used in swimming pools- around the base and the tree will shoot up quickly. In 5-6 years you will have a nice green and symmetrical tree. Early in life, the tree is as handsome as our conifers. There is a short brown period, as it sheds and replaces its leaves, in the winter but only 90 days or so in warm SoCal. On a trip to San Antonio, Tx I was impressed by the size of the trees along the river there. Unfortunately for us, the tree requires a lot of water. My rain barrel under the roof eve is drained out towards the tree and keeps the water costs down. I put my cypress too close to the house and I can see it growing away -searching for the sun- and curving as it goes up. Best planted in a wide open spot.

Can you expand on that...whats a flash drought? I take it the Cockroach Ridge was a big high pressure over the region.

Now why would Kansas, northern Oklahoma, some of Nebraska, and Texas remain in drought when the western slope of the Rockies is normal with good snowpack and the inter-mountain west/Sierras have plenty of snowpack? Considering the numerous winter atmospheric rivers driving straight out of the west-Do the Rockies create a rain shadow? Or is it -IMHO- the weather modification efforts in the Colorado river basin. Is there some other accepted explanation?