Despite winter rain, the dry season ahead may mean trouble for the drought

Water is treasured here in California and thanks to recent winter rain, there’s been some relief in the drought. On the Central Coast, Santa Cruz County and most of Monterey County are doing alright. Elsewhere around the state, parts of northern California are doing even better.

But according to the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, most water restrictions won’t be changing.

“So statewide, because northern California received a lot more rain this year, it’s likely there will be some relaxation of the requirements. However the water waste restrictions will probably remain in place,” said Stephanie Locke, Water Demand Manager.

And as winter has come to an end, so is the infamous El Nino. And quite the opposite of an El Nino, a La Nina is the cooling of the Pacific Ocean, and those cooler ocean waters provide a lot less fuel for storms to produce rain here in California. So it’s not completely out of the ordinary to fall back into a La Nina following an El Nino season.

Francisco Chavez, a Biological Oceanographer with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute believes Californians should expect a lot of dry weather ahead.

“That cold water will continue to be around for the rest of the year. Leading to dryer conditions into the future and perhaps into next winter as well,” said Chavez.

Despite the brief relief from winter storms, the drought will continue to be a challenge.

“I don’t think people should take that as, “we’re out of the drought and we shouldn’t conserve’, I think conservation is utmost right now,” said Chavez.