Despite recent rain, Merced misses out on ‘March miracle’ as state grapples with drought
Although rainy skies cloaked Merced earlier this week, the month is coming to a close without any significant “March miracle” storms that could have eased statewide drought conditions, forecasters say.
Rainfall in Merced on Monday added up to .38 inches between the early morning and late afternoon, according to National Weather Service measurements.
Despite the fanfare of a few thunderclaps accompanying the precipitation, the storm culminated in only a moderate amount of drizzle.
“This was not a major storm,” said David Spector, a meteorologist with the NWS’s Hanford office.
No rainfall is projected during the month’s last two days and into the weekend. Temperatures are forecast in the lows 70s through Thursday, then projected to rise to the high 70s and low 80s Friday through Sunday.
With no precipitation in the forecast, March tallied only two minor rainstorms to Merced and fell short of the hoped-for March miracle, Spector said.
The small storms did help the region make up some loss due to a parched January and February. Merced is .82 inches below average for March rainfall.
But the broader outlook is worse. Measuring since Jan. 1, Merced is 5.31 inches below average precipitation levels. “We’re definitely running below normal,” Spector said.
All of Merced County and much of the state are in the midst of extreme drought conditions, according to the federal drought report.
California experienced its second driest February on record this year.
In recognition of the severe drought, now entering its third year, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered California cities and other local water agencies to reduce water consumption and increase conservation rules.
The order followed the state’s announcement that it would cutback water deliveries from the State Water Project to a 5% allocation.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 3:14 PM.
