Climate Impact Report – 1/30

Key Facts Of The Day 1/30

Storms and Flooding

• Strong atmospheric rivers threaten to dump heavy rain and snow in California during the next 10 days, with flooding likely.
  • Flood and high wind watches are already in effect for parts of the West Coast, including the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay region. 
  • In terrain-favored areas, between 5 to 8 inches of rain could fall, while about 1 to 3 feet of snow is expected in higher elevations of the Sierras.
  • Due to recent precipitation, there is a growing threat of landslides with additional heavy precipitation.
• Over the longer term, human-caused climate change is expected to result in atmospheric rivers that carry more moisture and are capable of dropping heavier amounts of rain and snow.
• The Louisiana town of Isle de Jean Charles lost 98% of its land to coastal erosion, and the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe had to relocate. 

Wildfires

• New research found that in the East, wildfire size, numbers, and total area burned seem to be increasing.

Extreme Heat

• As January ends, the Texas drought has improved significantly, but the long-term impact remains.
  • During the last 27 months, at least one-fifth of the state’s area has consistently been in drought.
• Last Friday, Washington, D.C., saw its highest January temperature on record when the high soared to 80 degrees.
• Rising temperatures melted an area of the Swiss Alps where scientists have been working to collect centuries-old ice cores that contain valuable climate data.