"For us to see this heat wave early does make it a little bit more uncommon, and then the magnitude of some of the temperatures we're going to be seeing makes it pretty rare. A ridge of high pressure from the subtropics is building northwards over the Pacific Ocean, which can create extra warm conditions across Northern California."
"The warm-up is bad news for the state's snowpack, sitting at just about 53% of average for this time of year - and melting daily. After an exceptionally warm winter, state officials said the rapidly melting snowpack is complicating efforts to preserve the state's water supply, and climate experts claim the loss of snow early could increase wildfire risk."
"Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said it's clear from the warm forecast that there will be no Miracle March, or when a dry winter turns into a snowy one with late-season cold storms."
California is experiencing its first heat wave of the year starting Wednesday, with forecasters predicting well-above-normal temperatures through the following week. A subtropical high-pressure ridge building over the Pacific Ocean will trap heat over Northern California, creating uncommon early-season conditions with rare temperature magnitudes. The snowpack currently sits at 53% of average and continues melting daily. Following an exceptionally warm winter, the rapid snowpack depletion complicates water supply preservation efforts and increases wildfire risk in northern regions. Climate experts indicate late-season snow recovery is unlikely, affecting the state's water management strategies.
Read at Kqed
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