California Prays for Rain as ‘Near-Record’ Rainfall Predicted for Late October

After two consecutive winters of drought, Californians are hoping that a new forecast for heavy rain will be fulfilled. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday that a storm could bring two inches of rain to the state October 20 through 24.

The Chronicle noted:

There’s a chance the Bay Area could see above-normal rainfall this month that would slightly improve drought conditions and potentially put an end to the region’s wildfire season, according to meteorologists.

A storm system over the northeastern Pacific Ocean could bring as much as 2 inches of rain from the Bay Area up to Redding from Oct. 20-24.

The heavy rainfall would be “possible near-record-breaking precipitation for late October,” according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.

On Thursday, meanwhile, residents of Southern California are bracing for Santa Ana winds that bring warm air and strong gusts to the region, potentially fanning the flames of wildfires, including the ongoing Alisal Fire near Santa Barbara.

As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, that blaze threatens the historic Reagan Ranch, where the 40th president and his wife used to vacation, and where young conservative activists participate in educational programs today.

The ongoing drought has seen massive wildfires, as water levels drop to extreme levels in the state’s dams, cutting farmers off from state and federal water supplies, and forcing the shutdown of hydroelectric plants. The state has not built new reservoir capacity in four decades.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.