It was dry until about noon, then the skies opened & poured! 🌧️☔

Come see UC ANR at Ag Day at the Capitol. We’re here till 1:30pm
#CAAgDay

Good morning from the State Capitol! We're here celebrating #AgDay2026. Stop by, say hello, and connect with our team. We’ll be here from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm., sharing how UC ANR supports communities across California through agriculture, youth programs, and research.
#CAAgDay

TODAY Join Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social @ucanr.edu at noon to discuss the unusual spring weather & water outlook

Daniel Swain Climate Scientist Berkeley Climate Change Network · Episode

Talking weather and climate with with Daniel Swain, @ucanr.edu climate scientist: A conversation regarding the record-smashing warm month of March for the western U.S. and what it means for the region going forward.

CBS Los Angeles - Breaking Local News, Weather & Investigations Latest breaking news from KCBS-TV | KCAL-TV Los Angeles.

Monday, April 20 (~7:45 am PT): UC ANR climate scientist Daniel Swain joins CBS Los Angeles to talk about El Niño.

Watch live: cbsnews.com/losangeles/

Unusually active California spring weather pattern persists--are there links to record warm Pacific? - YouTube The latest in a recurring series of live, virtual, & interactive #weather and #climate-focused "office hours" hosted by Dr. Daniel Swain. 4/21/2026 topic: I'...

I'll have another "lunch hour" live virtual office hour at 12 noon PT on Tue, Apr 21, to discuss continuation of an unusually active spring weather pattern in California, broader context of strange 25-26 Water Year, and links to now record-warm NE Pacific.

Unusually active April weather pattern to continue this week, and possibly beyond, as subtropical northeastern Pacific waters reach record warmth - Weather West April 19, 2026 - Daniel Swain - Milder temperatures in April than March, with much more precipitation; snowpack, however, remains extremely low What a strange Water Year it has been in 2025-2026! We started the WY with record rainfall during Oct-Dec across much of the central and south coast, including the wettest Oct-Dec period ever observed in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern, and #

New Weather West post out this evening: "Unusually active April weather pattern to continue this week, and possibly beyond, as subtropical northeastern Pacific waters reach record warmth."

Nice to see the name of the woman who donated $80m to NPR: Connie Ballmer

Come work with us at @ucanr.edu!

anr staff at the capitol floor

UC ANR VP Glenda Humiston, staff, academics, volunteers & partners headed to Sacramento this week for Advocacy Day. They shared how #UCANR supports communities across CA with local programs, education & outreach. @ucanrfirenetwork.bsky.social

A herd of black cattle stands in a vast grassy field under a clear blue sky. In the distance, there are low mountains and scattered clouds.

A gray wolf trots through a snowy forest landscape, surrounded by pine trees. The ground has patches of snow and sparse vegetation.

A group of people seated in a conference room facing two speakers standing in front. There is a wall clock and a large screen nearby.

A panel of three individuals is seated at a table during a discussion event in a conference room. A screen behind them displays a presentation about solar energy projects and partnerships, featuring logos from the USDA and NCAR. An audience is seated in front, listening attentively.

As wolf populations expand, ranchers are facing losing livestock, income and sleep while working to protect their herds.

In Butte County, a community event brought ranchers, researchers and students together for coexistence and solutions.
ucanr.edu/blog/food-blog/article/r...

“Extremely warm ocean temperatures of this kind of magnitude can certainly ‘juice up’ existing storms,” said @weatherwest.bsky.social @ucanr.edu

Map of the western U.S. shows most of the southwest in red, meaning under 25% of average snowpack. Daniel's face shows in lower right corner

Despite as much as 3 ft of snow falling in parts of the Sierra last week, California snowpack is still below average, says Daniel Swain. Most California snow basins below 25% of average

It's complicated!

Daniel Swain stands outside with evergreen trees and National Center for Atmospheric Research building in background

Monday, April 20, live at ~7:45am PT on CBS LA Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social, @ucanr.edu climate scientist, will talk about El Nino with @caliweatherguy.bsky.social
www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/

In case you missed it live, the recording is available below (as always!). There were some great questions from the audience yesterday (which is usually true, but I always like to highlight the participatory nature of these sessions!).

I thought it was a Stephen King book! I thought of that party cuz Nancy Osborne died last week. She & ABC30 co-anchor John Wallace in his black cowboy hat walked in after the 11pm news. Fresno celebrities LOL!

Which book did you pull off the shelf at Julie Shinkawa’s house to show me the book blurb you wrote when you were at the San Diego Union Tribune?

A father holds his young daughter in his arms while shopping for orange bell peppers at the farmers market. The white text over a blue background reads: “NPI comments on the critical importance of USDA’s national food security data.” The Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources logo is included.

📊 National food security data is on the line. @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu submitted comments stressing the need to continue the Census household food security survey—critical for tracking hunger & informing policy. Losing it risks major data gaps. Learn more: bit.ly/4sDfPwM

The heat wave is deep, persistent & widespread. Those are “pretty significant indicators that this has both staying power and will have consequences for weeks or months or even seasons to come for Southern California,” @weatherwest.bsky.social @ucanr.edu told @hayleysmith.bsky.social

Severe marine heatwave intensifies; plus, how are April showers connected to a supertyphoon? - YouTube The latest in a recurring series of live, virtual, & interactive #weather and #climate-focused "office hours" hosted by Dr. Daniel Swain. 4/16/2026 topic: I'...

On Thursday, Apr 16 at noon PT, I'll have a "lunch hour" livestream to discuss the already prolonged & severe marine heatwave affecting Pacific ocean near California. Also: are upcoming April showers connected to a West Pacific supertyphoon?

UCLA found the genes that help oak trees thrive in hotter weather. By planting acorns from these heat-adapted trees, they're building climate-resistant forests, say the researchers from UCLA & The Nature Conservancy @uclaupdates @nature.org newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ada...

The state of the giant sequoias: losses, risks, and opportunities - Fire Ecology Background Giant sequoias, an iconic tree found only in a narrow band along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada of California, are facing unprecedented threats. Despite being adapted to fire and re...

For more info on saving the giant sequoias, see Shive's journal article link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Wildfires killed nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias. How crews are racing to save the rest. Growing campaign of controlled burns, thinning and replanting seedlings aims to limit fire risk this summer and beyond.

“Those fires in 2020 and 2021 were a game changer,” Kristen Shive @ucanr.edu & @natureatcal.bsky.social told @paulrogerssjm.bsky.social @mercurynews.com. “We had thousands of acres of high-severity fire. It was a shocking change and a hard one."
www.mercurynews.com/2026/04/13/w...

McClatchy Media hiring California Meteorologist in Sacramento, CA | LinkedIn Posted 9:57:50 AM. McClatchy Media is seeking an engaging, creative and reader-focused meteorologist-journalist who…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

Glad to see that the Sacramento Bee is advertising a cool new newsroom meteorologist position! Frankly, I think every major regional/national newspaper needs in-house expertise like this. Role requires degree in meteorology/atm science (as it should!)

I 🩷 the vibrant colors

Los ganaderos pierden dinero, vacas y hasta el sueño ante la presencia del lobo gris | Blog de Alimentos Image De izquierda a derecha, Tina Sailtone, especialista de Extensión

En Butte County, ganaderos, investigadores y líderes comunitarios se reunieron con UC ANR y Chico State para conversar sobre el impacto económico y emocional que la presencia de los lobos protegidos tiene en sus operaciones.
#UCANR #LoboGris #Ganadería #California
ucanr.edu/blog/blog-de...

Four children are pictured smiling, eating a variety of fruits while sitting at a table. The text reads: “A new questionnaire could transform how childcare settings assess health practices.”. The Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources logo is also included.

A new study explores the reliability & validity of the Site-Level Assessment Questionnaire–SLAQ–used to assess nutrition and physical activity practices in childcare settings. SLAQ results can help childcare programs create health-promoting environments. bit.ly/4dvCt6B

A rainbow appears above the hills north of Willow Pass Road in Concord, Calif., on Sunday, April 12, 2026. #rainbow #cawx #weather #photography #bayarea #nikon #photojournalism