Pineapple Express takes aim on California; again

KMSP, Minneapolis, MN - It has been a crazy winter season for California. Like the final score in Super Bowl 51, California has really come back from behind when it comes to much needed rain and snow. The winter season is not over yet and the Golden State braces for another round of the wet stuff.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

First of all, what is the Pineapple Express? Simply put, it is a river of moisture that originates near the Hawaiian Islands and is steered towards the west coast via the southern edge of the jet stream. This year, the jet has been in just the right position to steer that moisture into southern California.

In a normal water year that runs October through September, Los Angeles receives 14.93 inches of rain and as of this week, LA has seen 15.44 inches of rain. Keep in mind that is just in the four short months since October.

The snowpack hold the cards when it comes to providing a dependable stream of water for the summer months. Thanks to all that moisture from the Pineapple express, the snowpack is at a bulging 173 percent of normal, and winter is not over yet.

DROUGHT RELIEF

All this rain and snow may not help California live up to its sunshine status, but it does eliminate huge chunks of the drought. In fact, for the first time in three years, there is no part of California that is in an Exceptional Drought. Also, half the state is not even in a drought at all.

The drought is not completely over but its fading fast. The graphic below show just how much improvement the rains have made just in the last half of this January.