Apr 10, 2023
The up and down sides of California’s rash of atmospheric rivers include the expected return of a landscape so filled with flowers it can be seen from space.
This month the Golden State will have a “superbloom." It usually occurs when poppy seeds in dry soil burst into waves of stunning wildflowers after winter rain.
“This is really amazing to come out here…and see the flowers,” Juliet Vang told ABC News. Yang traveled three hours to see the flowers in northern Los Angeles County (LA).
There also lies the downside to the sight. Thousands of visitors go to see the flowers. They often cause traffic jams. Many also trample the very beauty that they traveled to see. At Lake Elsinore, tens of thousands of tourists swarmed the area for a 2019 superbloom. This time, people aren't allowed to visit. If they do, they could be arrested.
“We will have a zero-tolerance for people who are here trespassing,” one sheriff told The Wall Street Journal.
The state faces even bigger headaches. 30-trillion gallons of precipitation fell on California over the past few months. It ended a huge drought in the state. The water, though, could cause floods. How severe they are depends on the melting snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
“It’s going to happen, and the question is whether it happens quickly versus slowly,” one scientist told the Los Angeles Times.
Disappearing Winter Snowpack
This article explains how climate change has caused a decrease in snowpack in the western United States.
A River Ran Through It: How a Changing Climate Is Impacting US River Systems
This short article discusses various climate change impacts on river systems in the United States and the resulting issues related to drinking water, pollution, energy production, and recreation.
Youth Climate Story: Wildfires in Oregon
In this video, a teenager in Oregon describes how the changing weather patterns in her state are bringing about more floods, less snow, and more wildfires.
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