11-19-2020 Report

11-19-2020

In September NOAA issued a La Niña Advisory.  This means La Niña conditions are expected to persist through the end of 2020 and possibly beyond.  During La Niña events our part of the world experiences warmer and drier than usual conditions.  A large swath of the District was already at a 2 to 8 inch deficit in annual rainfall as of the beginning of October.  Very little precipitation has occurred since the beginning of October and that trend is forecast to continue through Spring of 2021.  The District uses the Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI) along with other data to determine Drought Stages.  In August the District Board of Directors determined the District to be in Moderate Drought Stage and initiated the Stage 2 Moderate Drought stage of the District Drought Management Plan.  Current trends indicate that the PHDI may show the District to be in Severe Drought by the end of November.  Water levels in many of the District’s monitor wells are trending down with a few at already historic lows for the period of record.  It looks Like 2020 will end with a drought that is just beginning and forecast to continue through at least the first quarter of 2021.