When will it first ever rain? (San Jose: agriculture, backyard, area)

[Potion of Boredom]

Hopefully soon in Fall. I am hoping for a long series of heavy rains, which you really don't get much of in CA.

[RecentGrad1]

Originally Posted by Azmordean

There's a chance of some rain later this week, I suspect just showery, though freak events do occasionally occur in late September.

Most years though, rain chances around here don't meaningfully increase until October, especially later in the month.

We should all be hoping for an incredibly wet winter. The drought has become absolutely devastating. If we have a relatively dry winter we can start expecting serious ecological implications and water restrictions that become increasingly impactful to daily life.

I'm sure it's deeply impactful, but I'm personally not feeling it. All utilities paid for by my apartment (including water), and free showers/water cooler at work. I try not to be wasteful, but it's really hard at times.

I think the saddest thing is the focus on reducing residential water usage, which is only a tiny fraction of California's total water usage. Agriculture uses 80 percent of California's total water. Why not put more focus where it belongs?

[tisnjh]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Whats you definition of "first rain"? There have already been trace amounts of rain.

The trace amounts haven't been enough to substantially improve our drought situation, for starters..

[Azmordean]

Originally Posted by RecentGrad1

I'm sure it's deeply impactful, but I'm personally not feeling it. All utilities paid for by my apartment (including water), and free showers/water cooler at work. I try not to be wasteful, but it's really hard at times.

I think the saddest thing is the focus on reducing residential water usage, which is only a tiny fraction of California's total water usage. Agriculture uses 80 percent of California's total water. Why not put more focus where it belongs?

Because California is the breadbasket of the United States. Shut it down, and food prices will go up significantly. People have to eat.

I hear you on not feeling it much yet. But when they start rationing and people can only shower every other day, you'll start to.

I can certainly see it though. Less watering area wide, stuff is starting to brown. And out hiking and such in the wild, it is quite noticeable -- it's always dry this time of year, but this is ridiculous. Stuff is crispy, for lack of a better term.

EDIT: Also, agricultural water use has already been cut a lot. Lots of land in the Central Valley is fallow. Many haven't received their allocations and are pumping groundwater, which is its own set of problems. The fact remains that the reservoirs used for the cities are getting dangerously low. Some NorCal towns (which almost never have dry stretches like this and frankly aren't prepared for drought) are already having to truck in water at enormous expense.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by RecentGrad1

I think the saddest thing is the focus on reducing residential water usage, which is only a tiny fraction of California's total water usage. Agriculture uses 80 percent of California's total water. Why not put more focus where it belongs?

They have better lobbyists.

Agricultural water supplies might go a lot farther if the farmers adopted more efficient watering method (i.e. drip). It's a lot cheaper to irrigate using less efficient techniques.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by tisnjh

The trace amounts haven't been enough to substantially improve our drought situation, for starters..

It's going to take a lot more then a "first rain" to do that.

[ggcd951]

actually wondering about a lot these days. Read somewhere super-drought is coming. Hope that is not the case.

[Azmordean]

Originally Posted by ggcd951

actually wondering about a lot these days. Read somewhere super-drought is coming. Hope that is not the case.

That's all conjecture. Could it happen - sure. Is it likely - not really.

Drought is one of the most insidious natural disasters. Most natural disasters are devastating, but you at least know when they are over. A hurricane, a tornado, wildfires, you can follow their progress, and know when they are done. Even earthquakes, you know won't go on all that long.

Drought - you just don't know. It could end in a week in spectacular fashion, or it could go on another 10 years. This reality makes people antsy, nervous, anxious. It makes some people predict doom and gloom with no real basis for it. We all know past behavior is no predictor of future behavior, especially with weather.

It's even worse if you are in agriculture. Do you take another loan from the bank to get through this bad year, hoping it'll rain next year? Or do you cut your losses and sell your farm? Do you buy feed for your cattle this year, hoping it'll rain next year and they'll be able to graze again? Or do you cut your losses and sell off some or all of your herd? And oh by the way, all you have to help you with this decision is gut instinct and seasonal weather forecasting, which has only marginally better skill than a coin flip.

Any other disaster, it comes, you suffer, and you rebuild. Drought just goes and goes and goes, with no indication of when it might end. It makes me nervous and it doesn't even directly impact my day to day life (yet).

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by tisnjh

The trace amounts haven't been enough to substantially improve our drought situation, for starters..

The rain here won't do anything really to reduce the drought, though. It's really the snow in the mountains that is the major issue (since that is what mainly feeds the water system for the cities and agriculture (especially this)). It could rain barely anything all year here, but if it snowed a ton in the mountains, we'd be fine overall as a state.

The problem is that rarely happens...but I digress.

[Fiona8484]

I miss the rain too, I am hoping for some this week.