Welcome rain forecast for California

With wet weather in the forecast for much of California this week, Appeal-Democrat reporter Eric Vodden turned to a UC Cooperative Extension expert for commentary.

"Big picture, we need the rain," said Franz Niederholzer, UCCE advisor in Sutter and Yuba counties. "Hopefully, this is just the start of the season."

According to weather.com, 84 percent of California is in "severe" drought. Kern, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and parts of eight other California counties are considered in "extreme" drought.

The National Weather Service's Climate Predication Center is projecting "equal chances of dry and wet this year" because of the absence of either El Niño or La Niña situations.

The weak Pacific frontal system that is sliding slowly southward Tuesday and second upper-level impulse will provide rain over much of the state, as far south as parts of the LA Basin Wednesday. Showers will also likely linger mainly from the southern Sierra and San Joaquin Valley into parts of Southern California Thursday.

"We will take any precipitation we can get," the Appeal-Democrat quoted Curt Aikens, general manager of the Yuba County Water Agency. "It's been relatively dry this November and precipitation is good at this time of the year."

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