Big Welcome Storm Headed California’s Way

       The West Coast storm is expected to bring desperately needed rain and snow to parts of California. The state has been mired in a 3-year-long drought that has seen its driest year on record and what is almost certain to be its warmest year on record. Of course, one storm won’t erase such a deep moisture deficit, which has left some communities on the brink of waterlessness. But it’s at least a small step in the right direction, local forecasters and climate scientists say.
      There are indications that this storm could be the start of some wetter weather for California. The December outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for better chances of above-normal precipitation for the whole state, in part because of the El Niño struggling to fully develop in the Pacific Ocean.
      “They seem to think that this will continue at least for a little while,” Tom Dang, a meteorologist in the Sacramento NWS office, said. And if nothing else, it’s unlikely California will see a repeat of last winter: “It’s very difficult for it to reach the levels that we reached last winter,” Dang said. “We’re certainly on much better footing” this year than last year.
 http://www.weather.com/news/news/california-drought-rain-coming