Drought Stricken California Suddenly Green

December 24th, 2014 by Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D.

Heavy rains over the last few weeks have led to a sudden greening of much of California, as revealed in yesterday’s color satellite image compared to exactly 1 year ago (click for full size):

NASA MODIS imagery of central and northern California on Dec. 23 of 2013 and 2014.

NASA MODIS imagery of central and northern California on Dec. 23 of 2013 and 2014.


Many stations in Northern California have recorded over 20 inches of rain, and Folsom Dam has received a whopping 62 inches of rain this month. Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in California, has erased almost half of its deficit below its normal level for this time of year.


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