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FARGO — The stormy weather pattern across California is expected to wind down this week. Many people have been asking about what the relationship this weather has to the changing world climate and the answer is as complicated as California weather. California is generally very dry. Most areas have essentially a desert climate most of the time. Most of the rain falls from December through March, and this short wet season is unreliable.
When several years pass with a poor rainy season, things get extremely dry. When a rainy season turns rainier than average, flooding occurs. This is the nature of the California climate and the present flooding is a very normal part of the climate there. In fact, the rainiest winter on record there was in 1862. What is changing is the intensity and frequency of these things. The rainy winters are happening with less frequency, but when they do happen, there is a greater chance of excessive rain.
