Here comes El Niño: Big soaker could bring relief but also damage

After the closely-watched climate pattern failed to deliver big February rains for California, March just might host the miracle that the drought-weary state needs — and then some. Forecasters say a series of powerful storms between Thursday and Monday will not only bring several inches of rain to Northern California — adding to the impressive precipitation totals from last weekend — but the possibility of high winds, damaging downpours and flooding. The sloshy forecast follows the wet weather last weekend that brought several feet of snow to the Sierra and more than 10 inches of rain to some mountainous spots in the Bay Area. The state’s dramatic change in weather since February, when many areas recorded less than an inch of rain during what’s historically one of the wettest months, is due to a shifting storm track over the Pacific. [...] while wet weather rolled in during January, the storm track strayed north in February, Swain said, leaving March — and maybe April — as the final hope that El Niño will live up to its lofty expectations. While the Bay Area and much of California has so far seen below-average rain for the season, rainfall in the mountains — where most of the big reservoirs are — has been up. California water managers have estimated that in order to break the drought, both rain and snow need to be close to 150 percent of average. If the seasons falls short, statewide water restrictions are likely to remain in place for cities and towns, and the massive water projects serving California’s vast agricultural industry are bound to significantly cut deliveries. “Maybe the storms heading to California in the next few days will significantly impact conditions and give water managers some optimism,” said Doug Carlson, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources.