Some San Jose residents could run out of water by summer if drought continues, expert says
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- In California, you pay big bucks for blue skies and sunshine filled days like we had today in San Jose.
But this morning, ABC7 News Meteorologist Drew Tuma explained why it's not necessarily always a good thing.
"This is our 49th day in a row without a drop of rain in San Jose," Tuma said. "So, that is the record longest stretch in our winter season that we have not seen a drop of rain in parts of the South Bay. So you can see how dry it has been this winter season."
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"In general, January and February are supposed to be our wettest months of the year," Santa Clara Valley Water District Chairperson Gary Kremen said. "January and February to date have been the driest months on record."
The last time we saw rainfall in San Jose was back in late December.
Meteorologists say an atmospheric ridge has prevented storms from making their way to California and they don't anticipate it breaking anytime soon.
"Well, to the extent that you trust the forecast models, they have us dry for the next two weeks," San Jose State University Professor of Meteorology Alison Bridger said.
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Across Santa Clara Valley, reservoirs are already at 25.9% of total capacity and experts say conservation is crucial as we remain dry.
But if all else fails, there may be another solution.
"If people pray for rain, I'm not going to go criticize them at all," Kremen said. "In fact, feel free to pray for rain. I do my own prayers for rain."
If we don't see rain soon, experts say it could lead to some serious implications.
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"I feel like we're in trouble," Bridger said.
"It's possible, some people with wells for example will run out of water in the Summer," Kremen said. "We're trying to prevent that by doing emergency water purchases, but most important by conservation. Definitely next year, if this continues, there can be widespread shortages."
Enjoy the green hillsides while they last, they may not last long.
