Forecast: El Niño could help NorCal ease drought
By Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee
El Niño might put a dent in the drought after all.
In a revised forecast Thursday, the National Weather Service said Northern California stands a decent chance of getting significant precipitation from this winter’s El Niño weather pattern, a development that could help ease the state’s four-year drought.
Until now, forecasters have been saying this winter likely would bring heavy rains to Southern California, which is typical for El Niño, but they’ve been less certain about the outlook for the northern half of the state. Because the state’s major reservoirs are in the north, that’s where the rain and snow need to fall to substantially bolster the state’s water supplies.
If history is a guide, California will see big snow in the northern mountains along with rain in the south.
