The Department of Water Resources says many of the largest reservoirs in Northern California are sitting well below their historic averages.
This, despite a wetter-than-usual month of October. Lake Shasta sits at 23% of its total capacity and 43% of its average capacity for this time of year. Lake Oroville is 29% full which is 56% of its historic average. Other reservoirs are looking a bit better, including Folsom Lake at 80% of average capacity. Lake Berryessa is 59% full and 83% of average. Don Pedro Reservoir is about half full and sits at 75% of average.There was general consensus among climate experts that not even the record-breaking downpour would end the two-year drought plaguing the state. There was too much of a deficit, and a single storm — even of biblical proportions — would not be able to solve it in one fell swoop.
Bill Patzert, a retired climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, estimates it would take 17 years of above-normal rainfall and snowpack to refill Lake Mead, an important water source for the West, which has fallen to critically low levels.
A weak storm rolled through the central and northern parts of California Friday into Saturday, and a stronger system is expected Monday.Sacramento and San Francisco could receive up to half an inch of rain from the stronger system, with coastal ranges and mountain areas potentially receiving up to two inches, forecasters said.