National

Generate

Axios Generate

California's water management officials are rushing to capture as much runoff as possible from the state's weeks-long atmospheric river storms in an attempt to alleviate water supply concerns stemming from the ongoing megadrought.

The big picture: The massive amounts of heavy snow from the parade of storms have resulted in a statewide snowpack average of 251% for Jan. 17. Winter snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains provides water supplies during the dry season.  

The lower-elevation rainfall has been helping to boost reservoirs, but it has not been enough to squelch the state's worst drought in 1,200 years, which has been impacting agriculture and grocery prices.

State of play: The powerful storms, which are nearing a lull, have been a huge boost for California's snowpack and reservoirs and likely a big help for preventing water shortages during the dry season.  

However, vast amounts of rain falling heavily on saturated soil means much of the water has been running off into rivers and eventually the Pacific Ocean, rather than filling reservoirs and recharging depleted groundwater storage. 

One concern is that it's not clear how long drier conditions will last during the rest of the winter. If the weather pattern shuts off the atmospheric faucet completely, then California could end the wet season with a precipitation deficit. 

What they're saying: The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) warned Monday that it is "acting with urgency to capture as much water as it can to help alleviate #drought conditions, however current infrastructure to move water through the Delta is outdated, vulnerable to earthquakes" and "limits the export of water during these long, sustained winter storms."

"We are no longer managing for just drought conditions or flood conditions, the current situation across the state demands we manage for both simultaneously," said Kris Tjernell, DWR's deputy director for its division of integrated watershed management, on Monday. 

A screenshot of a map showing the California snowpack is a ridiculous 245% of normal and 120% of the peak average snowpack.

Regional snowpack totals as of Monday, Jan. 16. Image: California Department of Water Resources

Snapshot: The latest figures show Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, at 57% of total capacity, but 101% of the historical average for this time of year.

Meanwhile, the U.C. Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, near Donner Pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, reported that 165 inches of snow has fallen there in January, and 346 inches for this season so far. 

The snow depth at that location is a staggering 10 feet, which is indicative of the extreme snowpack that has built up in mountain areas. 

That is just 14 inches shy of the average seasonal total, which could fall in the next and far weaker atmospheric river storm this week. 

Hydrological whiplash: The onslaught of atmospheric river storms, which have killed at least 19 while causing mudslides, power outages and widespread flooding, illustrates how California is now more at risk of weather whiplash episodes. 

Climate change is intensifying weather whiplash events in a state where precipitation has long been variable, research shows. 

In short, the dry periods are becoming drier, and the wet periods are wetter, as temperatures warm and the air carries more moisture. 

In addition, the portion of California's annual rainfall that comes from atmospheric river events is expected to increase, while the amount that comes from other storms is projected to decrease over time, per Julie Kalansky of Scripps' Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

What we're watching: The DWR is calling for the implementation of an updated Delta Conveyance Project, a key climate adaptation strategy, "in part to improve our ability to store high winter flows like the ones we are seeing today for the hotter, drier times we will see in the future," the DWR said Monday.

San Francisco

San Francisco Members

San Francisco Alerts

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting San Francisco.

Axios San Francisco Thought Bubble

Axios San Francisco

Atmospheric rivers force California to manage floods during drought

The state is simultaneously facing flooding and drought.

Floodwaters surrounding a house in California on Jan. 13.

A flooded home beside the Salinas River during rain storms in Salinas, Calif. on Jan. 13. Photo: Josh Edelson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Drought

Climate change

Extreme weather

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

A look at the scientific breakthroughs changing the world, explorations in space and in worlds beyond our own and the threats posed to us by our own planet, both out of our control and of our own making.

Science

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and other protesters were physically removed by police in western Germany while protesting a coal mine expansion Sunday, per Politico.

The big picture: Officers carried a smiling and laughing Thunberg away from the site near the mine in the village of Lützerath that's been the scene of clashes between police and climate change protesters after they said she didn't comply with a request to leave, German outlet Bild reports.

Thunberg accused police of "violence" as officers began to clear the massive protest site Wednesday, per the BBC.

By the numbers: Police said Sunday they had evicted the remaining 300 activists from the protest site Sunday, according to the BBC.

Police said 70 officers were wounded and a medical worker with climate protesters said 20 activists were hospitalized with injuries during clashes with police Saturday night, DW reports.

Context: Activists are trying to stop plans to demolish Lützerath to make way for the coal mine's expansion.

Germany's government and utility company RWE argue the coal is necessary for the country's energy security, AP notes.

In photos: Police clear coal protest site

Police, fire department and RWE specialists stand in front of the entrance to a building at a mine site in western Germany Jan. 15.

Police, fire department and specialists from German energy company RWE on Jan. 15 standing in front of the entrance to a building where two activists have entrenched themselves in a tunnel. Photo: Thomas Banneyer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Police officers lead a climate activist off the site in Lützerath, Germany, Jan. 15.

Police officers lead a climate activist off the site in Lützerath. Photo: Federico Gambarini/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

A climate activist leaves a tree house in Lützerath after it was opened by German police Jan. 15.

A climate activist leaves a treehouse in Lützerath after police accessed the structure on Jan. 15. Photo: Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images

 Two of the remaining climate activists stand on a monopod in Lützerath, Germany, Jan. 15.

Two climate activists stand on a pole at Lützerath. Photo: Federico Gambarini/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

North Rhine-Westphalia, Erkelenz: Police officers push a climate activist with a wheelbarrow from the site in Lützerath. 

Police officers push a climate activist in a wheelbarrow from the site in Lützerath on Jan. 15. Photo:  Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and further details on the protest and the mining plans.

German police remove Greta Thunberg, other activists from coal protest site

The  village of Lützerath has been the scene of clashes between police and protesters in recent days..

North Rhine-Westphalia, Erkelenz: Climate activist Greta Thunberg (r) stands between Keyenberg and Lützerath under police guard on the edge of the open pit mine and dances. 

Climate activist Greta Thunberg leads protesters in an impromptu dance on the edge of the open pit mine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Erkelenz, Germany, on Jan. 15. Photo: Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images

Germany

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Two more potent atmospheric river storms are hitting California Saturday through Tuesday. With the ground already saturated, the water has no place to go except to run off, causing deadly flooding. 

The big picture: The latest storm is prompting evacuations due to high water, and flood watches are in effect for two-thirds of the state's population. 

In the San Francisco Bay area, flood watches continue through Monday. 

In the mountains, snow depth is already at record levels for this time of year. 

As of Saturday, the state reported that mountain snowpack is at 263% of average for the date, and 126% of average for April 1, which is the typical seasonal peak. 

Following the several additional feet forecast to fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, some locations will have received at least 200 inches in just a single month. 

The latest: In Santa Cruz County, communities that had been evacuated and flooded earlier in the storm series are under evacuation orders once again amid flash flood warnings. This includes areas along the San Lorenzo River, including Felton Grove. 

Screenshot of a tweet showing rising water levels along the San Lorenzo River in Calif.

Evacuations were also underway Saturday for Soquel Village in Santa Cruz County.

High winds are also buffeting northern and central California, with gusts around 50 mph. Given the soggy soil, such wind speeds are enough to topple trees and power lines, knocking out power. 

As of Saturday afternoon, about 36,000 customers were without power in California, but that number is expected to grow as winds increase through the evening.

NWS observations showed that between 2 and 3.5 inches of rain had fallen across the Bay Area, with more rain and scattered thunderstorms in the forecast for the evening and overnight hours. 

California's mountains see staggering snowfall totals

Data: National Weather Service;  Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Winter storm warnings are in effect for the higher elevations of California,  including areas from Lassen National Park in the north, southward to Lake Tahoe and all the way to the mountains of San Diego County. 

Between the current storm and another one anticipated Sunday through Tuesday, some areas may see another five to six feet of snow on top of what has already fallen so far during the blitz of atmospheric river storms off the Pacific Ocean. 

The snow pack is so thick there is an increasing danger of avalanches, and infrastructure concerns are growing with several feet of snow sitting on rooftops, potentially causing some homes and businesses to be damaged. 

So far, the extraordinary amounts of precipitation dumped on California in the past few weeks have killed 19 people and caused upwards of $1 billion in estimated damages. 

There are signs of a weather pattern shift toward the end of next week, with dry high pressure moving into the state. However, it is unclear if this will be a fleeting break, or a lasting shift. 

"Do we stay dry through the end of month?" asked forecasters at the NWS in the Bay Area in an online forecast discussion. 

California's weather whiplash has climate change ties

Atmospheric rivers are narrow currents in the lower atmosphere that can carry vast amounts of water vapor thousands of miles from the tropics to mid-and-northern latitudes. 

Historically, atmospheric river events have been responsible for both a majority of the Golden State's precipitation each year, but also for its history of megafloods.

Climate change is adding even more moisture to atmospheric rivers, enabling them to dump higher rain and snow totals.

While the heavy rain and snow is recharging reservoirs and alleviating the soil moisture drought, California is still in a long-term severe drought from a groundwater and agricultural perspective. 

Studies show that climate change raises the odds of weather whiplash events from drought to flooding and back again.

In photos: "Potent" atmospheric river causes damage across California

3 more atmospheric rivers to slam flood-hit California

California's atmospheric river onslaught is not over yet

California flooded by yet more powerful atmospheric river storms

The state has never seen so much snow this early in the season.

Floodwaters from the overflowing Salinas River surround a home in Salinas, California, on Jan. 13.

Floodwaters from the overflowing Salinas River surround a home in Salinas, Calif. on Jan. 13. Photo: Josh Edelson/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

California

Believe it or not, average global surface temperatures have actually been relatively cool over the last three years — but that's about to change.

Why it matters: Temperatures are expected to jump this year — and 2024 could set a new global record.

The big picture: A rare "triple dip" La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean kept temperatures in check in 2022, with the year ranking fifth-warmest since instrument records began.

La Niña events are characterized by cooler-than-average waters in the equatorial tropical Pacific, and tend to put a lid on global temperatures. 

But 2022 still wound up as the fifth warmest year on record according to NASA and the Copernicus Climate Change Service. And if the phenomena dissipates, as forecasts increasingly indicate, global temperatures would likely jump this year and even more so next year.

If an El Niño event — characterized by milder than average ocean temperatures — sets in across the tropical Pacific, 2023 could even meet or come close to hitting a record high.

What they're saying: "I forecast about a 15% possibility of a new record in 2023. And if we are in an El Niño by the end of 2023, an almost certainty of a new record in 2024," Gavin Schmidt, who heads NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, told Axios via email.

Zoom in: According to NASA, the record-warmest year occurred in 2020 and 2016, the latter of which occurred when there was a major El Niño underway. This has led some climate change doubters to claim that global warming halted in 2016.

However, surface temperatures are just one sign of global warming. Other climate indicators all showed signs of continued global warming during 2022. Ocean heat content hit a record high, a recent study found.

Glaciers continued to shrink, sea levels kept rising, and extreme weather and climate events continued to batter countries around the world.

Studies tied many of these deadly extreme events to human-caused climate change.

What's next: This year looks milder than the last few years have been. It has a decent chance of at least making it into the top five, if not the top three warmest years, depending on how a transition to an El Niño plays out.

Then 2024 has a higher likelihood of setting a new record, scientists told Axios. This is in part because there is a lag in the atmosphere's response to El Niño.

Threat level: The U.K. Met Office is forecasting that global average temperatures in 2023 will be at least 1.2°C (2.16°F) above the pre-industrial average. Keep in mind that the Paris Agreement tries to limit warming to 1.5°C.

If warming exceeds this goal, studies show, the odds of potentially devastating climate change consequences will increase, such as greater melting of the polar ice sheets and the loss of tropical coral reefs.

Zeke Hausfather, climate research lead at payments company Stripe, said 2023 looks warmer than the past few years, but pinpointing exactly how much is difficult at this point.

"Given lags in the surface temperature response a transition to El Niño conditions in the latter half of 2023 would have more of an impact on 2024," he said via email.

Global warming is about to accelerate

Scientists expect global average temperatures to potentially set records in 2023 or 2024.

Animation showing the pace and severity of global warming.

Animation showing global average surface temperature departures from average vs. 1951-1980. Image: NASA GISS. 

Skiers on a slope with no natural snow in January in Bavaria. Photo: Michaela Rehle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

California may have had a brief respite from widespread flood watches on Thursday, but officials are warning that upcoming storms this weekend are expected to push into next week.

The big picture: Much of central and Southern California is enjoying a brief break from the deadly bouts of atmospheric river events that have sent rivers above flood stage, caused mudslides and debris flows, and killed at least 19 since late December. 

Around 20,000 people are without power while roughly 6,000 remain under an evacuation order, according to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

FEMA Commissioner Deanne Criswell said at a news conference Friday afternoon that the storm system is still very dynamic and dangerous and encouraged California residents to prepare themselves for the next week.

What’s next: Another atmospheric river is affecting the northern part of the state today and will bring heavy rain and snow to the Pacific Northwest. 

By Saturday, a separate storm is forecast to strike hard-hit areas once again, including San Francisco and Sacramento, with at least a few more inches of rain. 

The San Francisco Bay area may see rain fall heavily but intermittently throughout the weekend. 

More moderate-to-heavy rain is forecast through midweek next week, all the way south to Los Angeles.

What they’re saying: “The storm door remains wide open,” the NWS Bay Area forecast office stated in an online discussion today.  

Key stat: So far during the onslaught of atmospheric river events, which studies show climate change is making more intense, the entire state has seen at least 400% to 600% of average rainfall for this time of year. 

Climate change is also accentuating hydrological whiplash events in an already variable state, research shows. 

By the numbers: Some locations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have seen well over 100 inches of snow during this period, sending the statewide average snowpack to 226% of average for this time of year, and 102% of average compared to the typical seasonal peak on April 1. 

The most recent event alone, which finally ended yesterday, dumped its heaviest rains on south-facing mountain slopes in Southern California. 

A staggering 18.78 inches of rain fell in Ventura, 18.31 inches in Nordhoff Ridge and 17.17 inches in San Marcos Pass, per the NWS.

Yes, but: Though the next few storms may not be quite as strong as the most damaging atmospheric river events to date, any additional rain on top of saturated soils will cause additional flooding. 

The bottom line: California's flooding woes are far from over. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments. Axios' Shawna Chen contributed to this report.

The northern part of the state is getting hit Thursday, but the rest of California will see more flooding this weekend.

Flooding

The United Arab Emirates announced Thursday that the CEO of one of the world's biggest oil firms will lead the COP28 global climate talks in Dubai later this year.

Why it matters: The appointment of UAE climate envoy Sultan al-Jaber, who leads the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil, as COP28 president was met with outrage from climate activists — many of whom were already concerned that the UAE, one of the world's largest oil and gas producers, was hosting the summit.

Some attendees at last year's COP27 in Egypt criticized the summit for being a "glorified fossil fuel trade show" and campaigners are calling on al-Jaber to stand aside from his oil work while serving as COP28 president to avoid any conflict of interest, the BBC notes.

The big picture: Al-Jaber also oversees renewable energy projects while serving as the UAE's minister for industry and technology and he will be the "first CEO to ever serve as COP President, having played a key role in shaping the country’s clean energy path," according to a statement carried by the state-run Emirates News Agency-WAM.

He's played a "proactive participatory role" at more than 10 United Nations Conference of the Parties, or COP, summits and two decades of executive business and leadership experience in government, climate policy and across the renewable and conventional energy sectors, per the statement.

What they're saying: Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, said in a statement to media that if al-Jaber does not step down from his oil role, "it will be tantamount to a full scale capture of the UN climate talks by a petrostate national oil company and its associated fossil fuel lobbyist."

Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, tweeted that COPs "have always been circuses" and now "they are complete jokes."

"We need separate standing bodies focusing on energy, transport, deforestation, loss & damage etc, working all year round," he added. "Not this bloated festival of world leader photoshoots and oil execs."

Teresa Anderson, global lead on climate justice at campaign group ActionAid, said in a statement that al-Jaber's appointment "goes beyond putting the fox in charge of the henhouse."

"The UN Climate Summit is supposed to be a space where the world holds polluters to account, but increasingly it's being hijacked by those with opposing interests. Like last year's summit, we're increasingly seeing fossil fuel interests taking control of the process and shaping it to meet their own needs."

Of note: Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair was among those to welcome the move, saying in a statement carried by his nonprofit the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change that al-Jaber would "offer groundbreaking leadership for COP28." 

The other side: A spokesperson for the UAE Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change told CNBC in response to the criticism that al-Jaber's background "uniquely positions him to be able to convene both the public and private sector to bring about pragmatic solutions to achieve the goals and aspirations of the Paris Climate Agreement."

"The UAE is committed to an inclusive COP process, with the COP President acting as a global convenor," the statement to CNBC added. "The UAE’s COP Presidency works with all parties and is committed to being open, transparent and accountable."

What's next: COP28 runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

Representatives for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change could not immediately be reached for comment.

UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 talks

Climate justice at campaign group ActionAid said Sultan al-Jaber's  "goes beyond putting the fox in charge of the henhouse."

Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber in Dubai on December 3, 2021.

Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber in Dubai in December 2021. Photo: Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images

<span style="background:#ffa515; padding:3px 5px;color:white;">Historical</span> and <span style="background:#898989; padding:3px 5px;color:white;">Exxon-projected</span>  global warming scenarios

Data: Supran et al. Science 2023; Chart: Axios Visuals

ExxonMobil's own climate science research, which began in the 1970s, accurately predicted the pace and severity of global warming, a new study finds.

Why it matters: The study is the first to examine the performance of Exxon's internal climate modeling as well as its scientists' collaborations with outside researchers. It provides a quantitative assessment of how much the company's executives may have known about the risks of burning oil and gas and when. 

The study provides more evidence that Exxon's communication to investors and the public through the 21st century, which has played down the threats posed by climate change and cast computer models as uncertain, did not match what executives were told internally. 

The research, dismissed by Exxon, may play a role in ongoing legal action against the company for allegedly misleading investors and the public about the dangers of global warming. 

The big picture: Exxon scientists have been at the forefront of climate change research using computer models, the study published in the journal Science shows. According to the study, between 63% and 83% of the climate projections reported by Exxon scientists were accurate in predicting subsequent global warming. 

The Exxon scientists' projections showed the world would warm at a rate of about 0.20°C per decade, which was in line with independent academic and government studies in the 1970s through the early 2000s. 

According to the study, Exxon's research also led to an accurate estimate of how much carbon dioxide could be emitted before the world would warm by more than 2°C. 

This implied that some of the company's oil and gas holdings could become stranded assets, but such risks were not communicated to the company's investors or the public, the study notes.

Of note: The study assessed the skill scores of projections from Exxon's in-house climate modeling were more accurate than what then-NASA scientist James Hansen famously provided to Congress in his 1988 testimony warning human-caused global warming had started.

How they did it: The study examined 32 internal documents containing scientific research produced by in-house Exxon scientists between 1977 and 2002, and 72 peer-reviewed studies authored or co-authored by company scientists between 1982 and 2014. 

The internal documents had previously been analyzed for their text as part of a series of investigative journalism projects that have come to be known as #ExxonKnew, but the recent work breaks new ground by assessing the accuracy of modeling projections shown in these papers. 

To analyze Exxon scientists' predictions, the researchers took every global warming projection they could find, extracted and digitized the graphs, and quantitatively tested the predictions using established methods. 

The intrigue: The new study involves researchers Naomi Oreskes and Geoffrey Supran, who have published multiple studies that qualitatively examined what Exxon knew internally and told the public about climate change. 

Both researchers have been vocal critics of Exxon's criticism of climate science as uncertain and unreliable, having extensively researched the company's public-facing advertisements and statements on the issue.  

Another coauthor is Stefan Rahmstorf, a well-known climate scientist and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.  

What they're saying: "Our findings demonstrate that ExxonMobil didn't just know 'something' about global warming decades ago — they knew as much as academic and government scientists knew," the study states. 

"We now have airtight, unimpeachable evidence that ExxonMobil accurately predicted global warming years before it turned around and publicly attacked climate science and scientists," said lead author Geoffrey Supran of the University of Miami, via email. 

"In essence, Exxon didn’t just know, they knew precisely," said Supran, who is starting the Climate Accountability Lab at the University of Miami, which "Will investigate climate disinformation & propaganda by fossil fuel interests," he stated via Twitter.

The other side: Exxon dismissed the study's findings while touting its climate research in a statement to Axios.  

"This issue has come up several times in recent years and, in each case, our answer is the same: those who talk about how 'Exxon Knew' are wrong in their conclusions," said Exxon spokesperson Todd Spitler.

"Some have sought to misrepresent facts and ExxonMobil’s position on climate science, and its support for effective policy solutions, by recasting well intended, internal policy debates as an attempted company disinformation campaign," he said.

"ExxonMobil’s understanding of climate science has developed along with that of the broader scientific community," he said.

Exxon's climate research accurately projected global warming, study finds

The company dismissed the study's findings.

ExxonMobil

The death toll from California's relentless stream of extreme storm systems rose to 18 Wednesday, as the state's National Guard joined the search for a missing 5-year-old boy who was swept away in floodwaters.

The big picture: The latest in the barrage of atmospheric river events that have been unleashing heavy rains and destructive winds across the state was taking aim at the Pacific Northwest Wednesday, as flooding concerns remained in the storm-battered Bay Area ahead of the next major downpour there later this week.

A screenshot of images of the California National Guard searching for the 5-year-old California boy missing since Monday after being swept away in floodwaters.

California National Guard members searching for Kyle Doan, 5, who was swept away in floodwaters near Paso Robles in central coastal California on Monday. Photo: California National Guard/Twitter

Authorities confirmed an 18th death from the storms on Wednesday after they found the body of a 43-year-old woman inside her submerged car in Forestville, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said.

Of note: Six atmospheric rivers had struck California since late last month and three more were expected over the next week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday as he noted Californians were in the calm between the storms with "a few more difficult days ahead of us."

By the numbers: The storms that have forced thousands to evacuate and caused widespread destruction and power outages have dumped up to 20 inches of rain across California since the atmospheric river events began.

The NWS Weather Prediction Center said that as of Wednesday afternoon its offices in California had logged 955 reports of flooding, flash flooding or debris flow since Dec. 26 and over 10 feet of snow had been observed at the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada.

Several cities had received more than half their annual normal precipitation in the past 16 days — including Oakland (69%), Santa Barbara (64%), Stockton (60%) and downtown San Francisco (59%).

A screenshot of an NWS tweet stating that since Dec. 26 "California averaged 8.61 inches of precipitation and the San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan statistical area averaged 13.34 inches"

Photo: National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center/Twitter

The death toll from California's relentless stream of extreme storm systems rose to 18 today.

All Climate change stories