Final answer:
California's increased rainfall can be linked to climate change causing more intense weather systems and geographical factors like the Sierra Nevada's influence on water supply and the rain shadow effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The increase in rain in California this year can be attributed to several factors. One significant factor is the influence of climate change, which has been leading to more dramatic swings in weather patterns, including periods of heavier precipitation. This is largely due to the global increase in temperatures, which can intensify weather systems. Beyond the broader implications of climate change, there are also more immediate meteorological factors at play, such as the positioning of the jet stream, ocean temperature patterns like El Niño or La Niña, and atmospheric rivers that are capable of bringing substantial moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the California coast.
In addition to natural variability, there's an interesting interplay with geographical features that affects California's weather. The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, for instance, plays a critical role in water supply for Southern California, with 75% coming from the snowpack. NASA utilizes tools such as the Airborne Snow Observatory to measure the snowpack's water content and monitor water resources. These measurements are crucial for water management, especially as changing climate conditions threaten the consistency of the snowpack.
Understanding California's rain patterns also requires knowledge of the rain shadow effect, which describes how mountain ranges block precipitation and create dry areas on their leeward sides. This effect is what makes regions like Death Valley so arid, as the mountain ranges trap the moisture before it can reach these areas. Therefore, when conditions are right for precipitation, the coastal and Sierra Nevada mountains receive significant rainfall, affecting weather patterns across the entire region.