Sunny With a Side of Doom: California Storms

On January 17, 2023, a major storm hit California, marking the end of a three-week period in which nine severe storms netted a total of 20 to 30 inches of rain in some areas of the state and 10 to 15 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevadas. The storms caused flooding, fallen trees, and landslides that, according to the Los Angeles Times, claimed the lives of 22 Californians.

These storms have a name: atmospheric rivers. Environmental Science Teacher Rich Calhoun explained, “Around the equator you have a build-up of super hot, super wet air and it needs to drain, which it will do through these events called atmospheric rivers.” 

While California has historically experienced atmospheric rivers, and even relies on them for its water supply, this year’s storms are unusually severe. Mr. Calhoun said that because of global warming, “there is more energy at the equator, [which means that] atmospheric river events are occurring with greater intensity, moisture content, and duration.”

Additionally, atmospheric rivers are not predicted to mitigate the drought that has afflicted California in recent years. According to an article published in January by the Washington Post, rainfall alone cannot remedy severe drought. California relies on a replenished snowpack — the snow that falls in the Sierra Nevadas and surrounding mountains — for runoff to sustain the state’s water needs all year. However, warmer springs and summers have caused the snowpack to melt more quickly. Also, when large storms occur in short succession, collection methods like reservoirs are unable to hold excess water and flooding occurs. In short, these storms have exposed weaknesses in California’s water retention infrastructure that must be addressed as storms become more severe. 

“How will California adapt to more water all at once?” Mr. Calhoun asked. “We have to think about how that new hydrological system will work.”

Even though California is over 3,000 miles from Deerfield, Mr. Calhoun believes that students should pay attention to changing weather conditions nationally and globally. He said, “It’s important that we don’t get lost in our little bubble here in Western Massachusetts. We need to connect the work that we’re doing with not just our local communities but communities all across the country.” 

Climate change has caused a series of extreme weather events across the world within 2023: a heat wave resulting in 150 wildfires burning across Chile, flooding in New Zealand that is now considered the most significant climate event in the nation’s history, and even a record-setting windchill on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire as Arctic air temporarily moved over New England. In the coming years, more and more Deerfield students are likely to see change within their own home states and countries.