Extreme rain events have not only been happening in the Bay Area but at many locations across the United Sates in 2021. See the map below, blue dots represent the top 10 wettest day on record while the green dots show locations with the wettest day ever on record in 2021.
In fact, out of 246 locations 72% of them had increased rain on their annual wettest day.
In the Bay Area, our most recent extreme rain event happened on October 24th when many cities ranked in the top 10 wettest or had their wettest day on record. The heaviest rain with our Oct. 24 atmospheric river was centered over the North Bay where totals in the mountains ranged anywhere from 6 to 12” and lower elevations averaged 3 to 5.00”. While there was storm damage, the rain did help lower some drought levels, brought Marin reservoirs a 23.7% boost and even helped give us a much needed break on the fire season.
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So how does all of this tie into climate change? As temperatures rise, warmer air can hold more moisture and bring heavier extreme rain.
Remember, new research came out this year showing we can all help to slow and drastically change future climate impacts by reducing our carbon footprints. You can find out more about our changing climate and all of our stories in this link.
