Letters

expected to worsen in the coming decades” is largely focused on the Colorado River watershed.

To know what the latest models tell us to expect in Northern California in the years ahead, I turned to atmospheric scientist Paul Ullrich, who studies regional climate modeling at UC Davis.

I asked, “Do the latest climate change models show that average annual precipitation in Northern California will be higher, lower or about the same as we’ve had the last 50 years or so?”

Ullrich replied, “Generally, the change in Northern California has been statistically insignificant, except for some wetting in the spring and drying in the fall.”

Climate models also show, in terms of total precipitation, little difference going forward. The consensus models indicate “no statistical significance,” for “much of the state,” according to Ullrich.

The only California region that looks to be meaningfully drier is the desert area east of San Diego. A patch of the Pacific Coast Range, north of Lake Berryessa, should be wetter.

Ullrich adds that we will likely see seasonal differences in rainfall: “There seems to be some indication of wetting of the winter season, although this is supposed to be accompanied by drying in the fall and spring.”

His own research on the

What have we become?

I am writing to express my concern about the state of our communities in California. The current political climate has created a haven for violent drug cartels, resulting in countless deaths and destruction in our neighborhoods.

As a voter, I am frustrated by our political elite’s detachment from our communities’ realities. They make policy