California’s delayed rainy season is prolonging the fire season by a month
February 05, 2021
Some of the latest research is suggesting that the devastation of the California fires could have been worsened by the delay in rainy season by a month when compared to historic trends.
Meteorological records reveal California’s changing or delayed rainy season patterns. The rainy season has now been starting in December and peaking in January and February, is approximately one month later than it did in the 1960s.
California experiences arid temperatures and this dry and hot temperature combined with a delayed rainy season make the state even more susceptible to frequent fires.
Climate scientist at the University of Belgrade and author of the study, Jelena Lukovi? said that “What we’ve shown is that it will not happen in the future, it’s happening already. The onset of the rainy season has been progressively delayed since the 1960s, and as a result the precipitation season has become shorter and sharper in California.”
Scientists that carried out the research at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, could not formally establish a relationship between the change in the rainy season to climate change directly however, they did find that it coincides with the known adverse effects of rising temperatures.
Approximately 57,000 wildfires were reported in the US in 2020, with five of the top 20 largest wildfires in California state history. The massive wildfires burned over more than 4.2 million acres in California, damaging or destroying 10,488 structures and resulting in the loss of 33 lives.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 2020 to be the second-hottest year as well as the hottest September ever to be recorded.