Natural climate change or global warming? Perhaps California's drought isn't your fault

Swimming in November, sweating in December; according to the National Climatic Data Center, California is experiencing its warmest year in 120 years of weather records.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The historic drought scorching up and down California is not as rare or unfamiliar as it may seem.

"It's important to note that California's drought, while extreme, is not an uncommon occurrence for the state," explained Richard Seager, professor with Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and the lead author of a recent study released by federal scientists.

Pray for rain; we need it now more than ever.

Over the last several years, a warm, dry ridge of high pressure over the eastern north Pacific Ocean and western North America has been preventing clouds from forming and precipitation from falling.

"This ridge -- which has resulted in decreased rain and snowfall since 2011 -- is almost opposite to what computer models predict would result from human-caused climate change," according to the study.

The NOAA report explains midwinter precipitation is estimated to increase because of human-caused climate change. "A low-pressure system, not a high-pressure system, would probably form off the California coast because of climate change," said Seager.

This low-pressure will bring California the much needed precipitation and clouds.

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