January rainfall on track to double the average
By | Alexander Badger
After one of the rainiest fall seasons in Humboldt County history, students returned to the new semester to yet another storm. The storm was strong enough to knock out the power in a significant portion of the county over the weekend of Jan 21. The Eureka National Weather Service recorded winds above 50 mph along the coast that toppled trees and power lines.
The winds were joined by a record rainfall that pushed the amount of rain in the county to practically double the monthly average. As of Jan. 26, the county received about 10.51 inches of rain; the mean for this time of the month is about 5.35 inches. The last time the county had more than 10 inches of rain was in October. This is consistent with a trend observed by the California-Nevada River Forecast Center over the past water year, a period within which precipitation levels are observed and recorded. The water year begins Oct. 1 and is updated at the end of every month.
Reginald Kennedy, a hydrologist at the Eureka National Weather Service, said that while the worst is over for the foreseeable future, people should still be prepared for stormy weather coming their way.
“More, smaller storm systems will be coming every few days going into February and strong winds in February and possibly March,” Kennedy said.
Keeping in mind the recent turbulent weather record measurements, students should think twice before putting away those heavy coats; Winter still has long ways to go.
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