Climate Impact Report – 12/6

Quick Facts

As of Tuesday morning, a large area of low pressure was located about 800 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands, producing showers and thunderstorms.
- Although hurricane season technically ended last week, hurricane forecasters on Tuesday said a disturbance in the Atlantic has a 50% chance of developing into a tropical or subtropical depression within the next few days.
A pair of December storms dropped several feet of mountain snow and soaking low-elevation rains across much of California.
- Parts of the Sierra Nevada have recorded more than double the expected snowpack for the time of year, and another significant storm could be on the way this weekend.
- However, officials are urging caution and conservation as longer-range outlooks still point to a fourth consecutive drought year for the state.
- Recent winters have featured dramatic twists and turns that ultimately landed on the dry side.
Survivors of Hurricane Ian can now apply for Florida housing assistance and home repairs.

As of November 11, there are currently 19 large active wildfires that have burned 11,358 across AZ, GA, KY, NC, OH, TN, TX, and VA. As of November 14, 61,390 wildfires have burned 7,251,835 acres across the country.
In Arizona, 1 fire has burned 808 acres as of November 11.
In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 115 acres as of November 11.
In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 105 acres as of November 11.
In Texas, 1 fire has burned 1,500 acres as of November 11.

UC Davis moved its graduation to downtown Sacramento and the Golden 1 Center after the 2022 ceremony was cut short by extreme heat.
- There were 35 medical calls, and six people were taken to the hospital due to the extreme heat in June.
Due to prolonged droughts, Christmas trees in parts of the U.S. are seeing price hikes of as much as 25%.
Although parts of California have already received some mountain snow, the state needs a well above-average water year or several wet years in a row to replenish its reservoirs, which have been depleted by three years of extreme drought.
If dry conditions continue in California, more than 70 urban water agencies face potential shortages in the next six months.

A December 2022 study found that the health benefits associated with wind power could more than quadruple if operators turned down output from the most polluting fossil-fuel-based power plants.
A December 2022 study found that 39 out of 43 coastal airports in California have assets exposed to projected flooding that could disrupt their operations in the next 20 to 40 years.
A December 2022 study suggests an investment in new infrastructure capable of harvesting oceanic water vapor as a solution to limited freshwater supplies.