Volume XXXVIII Issue 4 09 Feb 2016
theArrow 100 N LAKEVIEW CANYON RD. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362
www.westlakearrow.com
THE BEFORE THE El Niño? What El Niño? GRAPHIC AND PHOTOS BY MICHELLE CHOI AND RACHEL FINEGOLD
Rachel Finegold Sports Section Editor El Niño has yet to hit California, but is approaching quickly. The storms experienced in late December and throughout January were just previews of what is to come. Although typical El Niño patterns would deliver rain in mid-December, this year’s El Niño, predicted to appear in late February and March, is still on track to arrive at this time. Bay Nature magazine describes the later arrival of El Niño as similar to the El Niño of 1997-98, when the storm hit in late winter and early spring. Both previous and present El Niño storm watchers “have been told all along to be patient,” said Bay Nature. “Through the relatively dry fall season the message was and is: El Niño’s on track and doing what’s expected, waiting a bit while Godzilla warms up and stretches out before entering the game.” Because El Niño typically begins earlier in the winter season, the storms occurring in Northern California are being mistaken for El Niño. This weather, however, is actually quite normal for the winter. According to The California Weather Blog, Northern California has seen an average amount of rain as of late. When El Niño does come at its predicted time, however, these average levels will surely be surpassed. “It is simply too early for El Niño-influenced rains to arrive in Southern California,” said the Los Angeles Times. This year’s El Niño has been delayed in California due to a high-pressure mass above Southern California. This type of system repels storms and the mass of high pressure “needs to flatten out and go away” for storms to hit California, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Bruno. The rain experienced in California was caused by the patterns of the approaching El Niño, but it wasn’t the actual
storm itself because of this high-pressure mass. Both the wind and the rain on Jan. 31 “was an El Niño-driven storm that blasted the southwestern U.S. with rain and snow,” said LA Weekly meteorologist Mike Wofford. The recent weather truly proved to be the calm before the impending storm. “The present El Niño is indeed among the strongest ever predicted,” said the California Weather Blog. California has been in a record breaking drought for four years and the impending El Niño brings hope to add some much needed rain to the extremely parched landscape. The first signs of El Niño storms are a good start to California’s wet season. However a lot more is needed to end the drought. “It’s very unlikely that things will develop exactly as we’re hoping for,” said director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Jay Lund. “In some areas, the drought might be over, and in some areas it might be worse than others.” El Niño will come through Southern California, specifically Los Angeles, in late February and early March. Although the rain will prove very beneficial to the southern area, this rain will not be able to put a dent in the drought without hitting Northern California as well. Without the storm coming north of Interstate 80, the rain won’t be as effective if it isn’t hitting California’s watersheds and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. “We want the snow pack [that accumulates in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range] for sure,” said California’s state hydrologist Maurice Roos. “The water comes off in a much more controlled fashion. It does more good to come off gradually.” When the rain comes off the Sierra Mountains it would flow into mountain streams, have a longer duration of flow and recharge the groundwater. If the great amounts of rain California will receive from El Niño aren’t coming off the Sierra Nevada’s, it is predicted that it will only flood into the ocean and cause mud slides. The last time a record breaking El Niño occurred with similar conditions in 1997-98, downpours filled California reservoirs, Bay Area cities received double their average rainfall, the Sierra
was dumped with snow and the rivers rushed to flood stages. “Still, experts noted that California has suffered very large rain and snow deficits over the past four years, and needs 150 percent or more of normal rainfall statewide this year to make a major dent in the drought,” said San Jose Mercury News. “So even in a soaking winter, those deficits are not likely to be erased in one year, although they would help a great deal.” The anticipated rain will bring many dangers to California, including flooding, mud slides and high humidity. Before the first rains of the season hit, Principal Jason Branham implemented a series of modifications in order to prevent problems that WHS has experienced in the past due to rain. To prevent mud slides and erosion, nets and wattles (straw filled tubes) have been placed behind buildings two, three and four. Drains were cleared and goats were sent into the ravine under the bridge to clear out vegetation overgrowth. This will ensure that when water washes down, it will drain properly. Despite these efforts, when the precursory storms hit, WHS experienced various complications. Mud slides occurred behind the portables and on the path up to the student parking lot. Building four had no electricity for approximately one and a half days because water got into the air conditioning unit and shorted it. To prevent these problems in the future, more netting and wattles will be placed in the problematic areas. “We have isolated the problem and sealed the air conditioning unit so water can’t get back into it,” said Branham. A tree fell on the track and it took down part of the fence and created a small hole in the track. However, the tree was removed in less than 24 hours. “No matter how much we prepare for something, there are always little things that we don’t expect,” said Branham. “Overall, I’m glad we prepared ahead of time and put a lot of work into it, but what was learned is that you still have to be on guard and ready because the unexpected is always going to happen.”