LOS ANGELES — California has gone from one extreme to another, from extreme drought and empty reservoirs to too much rain all at once. Beginning on New Year’s Eve, a parade of punishing storms has hit the state, causing widespread flooding and destruction. Tragically, at least 19 people have been killed and the toll in damage is about $1 billion, with more storms forecast. Southern California is expecting additional rain this weekend.
What caused this drought-to-deluge turnabout?
The short answer is the location of the jet stream or storm track — a belt of strong winds high in the troposphere where airliners fly. “It has been parked across the Pacific with multiple low-pressure systems rippling along over the last few weeks,” said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
