blizzards

For the last two winters, a steady succession of these giant “rivers in the sky” have dumped record-breaking and drought-busting precipitation across the state, while simultaneously causing catastrophic floods, landslides, and dangerous blizzards.

The area is also known for harsh blizzards throughout much of the year, including one in March that dumped up to 10 feet of snow and provided ammo for critics of the move.

Indeed, both upgrades were attributed to soaking storms that dumped record rainfall and blinding blizzards across large swaths of California.

Parts of China have faced extreme weather conditions over the past few weeks, with blizzards affecting transport around the Lunar New Year holiday celebrations.

Despite a spate of blizzards and heavy rainstorms, the state’s snowpack remains below average and El Niño conditions don’t promise much improvement in the near future.