"It's raining again..." Supertramp 1982
...Winter rains have returned to San Diego. Chicago remains wet!
These graphs from www.climatestations.com show the year-to-date rainfall totals for Chicago and San Diego.
Chicago is almost 40% ahead of normal at 47 inches. This makes 2018 one of the wettest years on record. 
San Diego's rainfall year is measured July through June. The abundant rains in December 2018 are welcome. Unlike most parts of the U.S. San Diego receives almost no rain April through October.  Summertime rains are rare and thunderstorms almost non-existent. The area relies on its rainy season November through March. 
Winter rains were absent in San Diego 2017-2018. The year's total was about 3 inches, far below the average of 10 inches. Fluctuations like this regularly occur in California. The two years prior were wet. Before that had two years of drought. 
Winter rains are magical for the nearby deserts (San Diego is considered a desert by many experts). They bring explosions of wildflowers. Last year there were few blooms because it was so dry. 
We are keeping a photo journal of this winter's rains and its effect on nature. The photo here shows San Miguel Mountain in Chula Vista's Eastlake area. It stands at 2,500 ft. in the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge. This peak has been closed to the public but nearby trails remain open. 
We hope the rains continue and let us see how the mountain becomes green and bursts with flowers during the next several weeks. Wildflowers usually peak in late March into early April. We will take photos of San Miguel Mountain weekly from the same place for you to see. 

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