14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California have just released a new animation showing how an atmospheric feature called the Pineapple Express brought rain and snow to California, from February 7 to February 9.
Normally, the fact that it rained somewhere on Earth would not be news-worthy material, but the fact that the American state finally got precipitations is important because a significant drought had been plaguing it for months. All water supplies in California were endangered, and a state of emergency was recently declared.
The low-level jet of moist air called the Pineapple Express – which flows to California from Hawaii – may have put an end to that for now by bringing some much-needed water to the state, but it did not solve the problem. Average water levels for January are still considerably below yearly averages.
“This year, on our knees because of a multi-year drought, some areas in central and northern California were pounded by fierce winds and 4 inches to 8 inches of rain by this classic Pineapple Express. Although this event definitely put a dent in the drought, there was also plenty of flooding and wind damage,” says JPL climatologist Bill Patzert.