Record snow from this winter is about to melt; major concern for Flooding as rivers still swollen from atmospheric rivers

Luke 21:25 ““And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves

Important Takeaways:

  • California Awaits ‘Big Melt,’ Flooding, as Temperatures Rise
  • California is about to begin the “big melt” — the thawing of trillions of gallons of frozen water, currently sitting atop the Sierra Nevada mountains and about to make its way down into the Central Valley floodplain.
  • As the San Francisco Chronicle warns, this year’s swollen rivers “are going to run much higher, faster, colder and for longer than they normally would, posing risks to the hordes of summer lovers who raft, kayak, swim and fish them.”
  • Already, heavy rainfall and the beginning of the spring thaw have caused a historic freshwater body, Lake Tulare, to reemerge in the southern Central Valley, flooding many farms and cutting off roads.
  • Fears of flooding are compounded by frustration that the state has not managed to build new infrastructure to store the water for future dry seasons.

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Weather warning for Blizzard Conditions for Los Angeles mountainous areas

Catching Snowflakes

Luke 21:25 ““And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,

Important Takeaways:

  • Major storm to bring blizzard, feet of snow and flooding rain to Southern California
  • As the storm zeroes in on the Golden State, it is forecast to ramp up in intensity on Friday and produce heavy rain, snow and even rare blizzard conditions in the mountains around the Los Angeles area.
  • LA Times reports: San Bernardino County mountains brace for first blizzard warning on record
  • AccuWeather meteorologists warn that this storm has the potential to be the most impactful storm of the winter, and perhaps in a number of years, for Southern California due to the risks of flooding, snow in low elevations and widespread travel disruptions.
  • The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles issued a rare blizzard warning for the mountains to the north and northeast of the city. The NWS office said on Twitter that it was the first blizzard warning in the area since 1989.
  • This zone includes the Tejon (Interstate 5) and Cajon (I-15) passes. Both are likely to experience highly adverse and dangerous conditions due to excessive snowfall, strong winds and near-zero visibility in blowing snow during the storm. Both locations have the potential to pick up 2 feet of snow or more.

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Wildfires and water shortages SoCal facing precarious problem

Revelation 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”

Important Takeaways:

  • SoCal facing “precarious situation” as water levels hit historic lows
  • They’re among more than 1,600 people who have exceeded their water budgets by 150% as the state faces a water and drought crisis exacerbated by climate change, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District spokesperson Mike McNutt told Axios on Tuesday evening.
  • California is the the grip of an ongoing megadrought that led Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to expand a drought emergency declaration last October and officials in the south of the state to declare a water shortage emergency in April, restricting outdoor water usage.
  • Federal officials have issued increasingly urgent warnings about the need to conserve water, especially in the U.S. West.
  • Meanwhile, California remains prone to wildfires — and five large fires are currently burning across the state.

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Judge blocks California law that required background checks to buy ammunition

By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge has blocked a California law that required background checks for people buying ammunition, saying it violated the constitutional right to bear arms.

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday halting the law, ruling in favor of lobby group California Rifle & Pistol Association, which asked him to stop the checks.

“California’s new ammunition background check law misfires and the Second Amendment rights of California citizens have been gravely injured,” Benitez wrote in the order granting the group’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

The order also described the law as “onerous and convoluted” and “constitutionally defective”.

California Governor Gavin Newsom had supported such legislation from before he took office. His administration was disappointed by the ruling and was considering the next steps, a spokeswoman said.

It was not immediately clear whether the state attorney general’s office would appeal or seek to stay the order.

Gun control advocates criticized Thursday’s ruling and felt it was depriving Californians of an important public safety law.

“This decision is patently wrong and we expect that it will be reversed on appeal,” Kris Brown, president of gun violence prevention group Brady said in an emailed statement.

The lawsuit was originally filed by the California Rifle & Pistol Association and later joined by, among others, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal shooter Kim Rhode.

Gun control advocates in the United States, where gun stores were allowed to remain open, have previously said they feared that an increased ownership of firearms during the coronavirus pandemic could lead to more domestic violence. California has ordered some gun stores to shut during the outbreak.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed an attempt by gun rights advocates to overturn President Donald Trump’s ban on “bump stocks” – devices that enable semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like a machine gun – implemented after a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.

Numerous gun control proposals have been thwarted in the U.S. Congress, largely because of opposition by Republican lawmakers and the influential National Rifle Association gun rights lobby.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru, Editing by Timothy Heritage and David Gregorio)