 |
On Jan. 31, Napa had received only 1.4 inches of rain at the Carneros weather station in the previous nine months combined and was looking at the worst drought in more than 120 years.
In February, Napa got 7.8 inches of rain -- double what it had received in the previous 13 months combined, and the third-wettest month in the last 8 years.
Here's vineyard manager Garrett Buckland in the same vineyard on Jan. 21 (different angle, sorry, I wasn't planning this comparison).
Santa Rosa, in even more dire straits in January, got 12.3 inches of rain in February.
Things are still bleak in many parts of the state. Modesto got only 2.3 inches in February and has less than 6 inches total in the last year; still looks like a tough year for supermarket wines. Santa Barbara got only 1.2 inches in February and has 8.6 inches in the last year.
With sympathy for those areas, lovers of Northern California wines would like to say thank you, Mother Nature.
Follow me on Twitter: @wblakegray and like The Gray Report on Facebook.
Weeds aren't really growing in Jan even if we get a lot of rain. It needs to warm up for the seeds to germinate.
ReplyDeleteSanta Barbara's wine growing areas got between 2-4 inches the last two days of February and the first day or March, so although we're still at a deficit, it's a little better...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete