Wednesday March 29, 2023
USA Today —
A colossal amount of rain and snow has fallen on California over the past few months from a dozen atmospheric rivers: more than 78 trillion gallons of water and counting.
It’s not the wettest year the Golden State has ever seen, but it is a massive amount of water in a state that has been beset by drought for several years. The number of gallons is according to data from the National Weather Service that was compiled by meteorologist Ryan Maue.
The 78 trillion gallon number is based upon the statewide average of 27.6 inches of rainwater and “snow-water equivalent” that’s fallen on the state from Oct. 1 – the beginning of California’s water year – to the week of March 20.
“Snow-water equivalent” is the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snow cover was in a liquid state,” according to the weather service.