Tehachapi News

larger view larger view larger view larger view larger view

Snow, rain, mud, sleet, slush, freezing temperatures, frothing creeks, mountains with snow on them. . . It’s been feeling more like a normal Tehachapi winter lately — hurrrah!

A storm set that blew into Tehachapi on Tuesday, January 22 continued to bring more moisture each day through the weekend, and at press time on Saturday there was more precipitation expected. A single prolonged storm had provided areas of Southern California with more rain than all of last year’s wet season.

That’s the reality of life in the southern third of this remarkable state: when annual precipitation levels average 12 inches or less, one or two storm complexes can make the difference between a dry year or a wet year, between drought or flooding.

For areas with higher averages, like 30 to 40 inches of precipitation a year, individual storms make little difference to the overall total, but in Tehachapi where we average only six to eight significant storms during the entire year, a single storm can have a major impact. Last week’s snow/rain/snow/rain storm was one of those that have water agencies throughout the southern counties breathing a little easier.

 I’d like to see some university class or think tank do an economic survey to estimate the value of an inch of rain or foot of snow to California’s economy. When you factor in all the water users, from households to farms to industry, including activities like skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing and more, the value is staggering — I would estimate that it’s probably in the range of $1 billion per inch of rain or foot of snow that falls over So-Cal.

Locally, creeks that have been dry for many months are now running, sometimes sprinting down canyons and ravines in a tumbling brown froth of stormwater. And the snow at higher elevations will continue to recharge aquifers  over the coming weeks.

So when a weatherman refers to moisture-laden storms as “nasty weather” as one Weather Channel anchor did last week, I want to call him up and scream “Are you out of your mind? Is there nothing in your empty head? We are in a drought — some cities are initiating water rationing, and you’re referring to a much-needed water delivery from the sky as ‘nasty weather’!”

Storms, especially snowstorms, may indeed cause some inconvenience and change some plans, but look at the big picture: every living thing needs water, and virtually all the water we use falls from the sky.

So keep enjoying our beautiful, welcome, appreciated wet weather.
—Have a good week.