Sacramento On Verge Of Driest January Since 1877
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento region is on pace to have its driest January in more than 130 years.
In a normal year, Sacramento gets about 4 inches of rain a month. Last January saw .20 inches, and so far there has only been .01 inch, and not much on the horizon.
If that number holds, it would be the driest since 1877.
In order to get out of the drought funk, there would have to be a strong February or March.
"We're not looking good for January that's for sure," said National Weather Service forecaster Bill Rasch.
He and his staff of professional weather watchers are often searching the atmosphere for any signs of rain or snow.
Unlike last rain season, a strong December brought hope that the drought would be coming to an end. But with this January trending toward a record, things aren't looking good.
"The Sierra is really hurting," Rasch said. "A lot of the storms have been warm and the snow pack is below 40 percent of normal. I believe it's between 30 to 40 percent."
In the high country where snow should be collecting in January, it's dirt and weeds.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration blames the driest January since the end of the Reconstruction Era on a ridge of high pressure.
There is some hope in a storm predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Even the heaviest part of that storm is not looking really good," Rasch said.
While the storm could keep us out of the 1877 record books, it's not anything to brag about.
"We'll certainly finish in the Top 5 driest Januarys, even with that storm system," he said.