--- title: El Niño California Drought: Phenonemon Arrives But May Not Give Relief description: El Niño has finally arrived, but the precipitation brought by the weather event is unlikely to alleviate California's severe drought. canonical: https://time.com/3734013/el-nino-california-drought/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-05T19:57:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:03:04.344Z article:section: Science og:title: El Niño California Drought: Phenonemon Arrives But May Not Give Relief og:description: El Niño has finally arrived, but the precipitation brought by the weather event is unlikely to alleviate California's severe drought. og:url: https://time.com/3734013/el-nino-california-drought/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0871dcd393229a6d/6986a0a1f983e74bab04f57c/climate-change.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2640 og:image:height: 1485 og:image:alt: California's Drought Becomes Critical og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: El Niño California Drought: Phenonemon Arrives But May Not Give Relief twitter:description: El Niño has finally arrived, but the precipitation brought by the weather event is unlikely to alleviate California's severe drought. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0871dcd393229a6d/6986a0a1f983e74bab04f57c/climate-change.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # El Niño Arrival Too Late for California Drought > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=6a2bfd66-4983-4fbb-b092-efb1d89e26ae&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How California’s Drought Will Affect Your Wallet [Watch (HLS stream): How California’s Drought Will Affect Your Wallet](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/e4k4jpdG.m3u8) (1:21)  _Published 2014-09-17. A drought in California means higher grocery prices for Americans_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 5, 2015 7:57 PM UTC There are three major consumers of the state’s water supply: urban consumers, big agriculture, and the environment.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 5, 2015 7:57 PM UTC El Niño has finally arrived, but the precipitation brought by the weather event is unlikely to alleviate California’s severe drought, officials said Thursday. “After many months of watching, El Niño has formed,” said Mike Halpert, an official at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. “Unfortunately, this El Niño is likely too little, too late and too weak to provide much relief for drought-stricken California as California’s rainy season is winding down.” El Niño, a cyclical phenomenon that lasts several years, begins with warming in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and eventually affects weather around the world. In the United States, it can lead to storms along the West Coast and affect hurricanes and other tropical storms. Tropical storm activity could be reduced due to El Niño, but it’s too soon to know for certain, the NOAA said. Forecasters have been waiting to declare the start of El Niño for nearly a year. The late arrival may make El Niño-related storms “weak in strength” with “fairly low influence on weather inclement,” Halpert said. ## Transcript The west coast is in the midst of a drought, and scientists are predicting that the dryness in California may be part of a long- term mega- drought that can last two decades or longer. About a half million acres of land is expected to be out of production. Sysco, the largest food distributor in the U. S ., stated that the drought would mean an increase in prices and out- of- stock produce. Timothy Richards, a professor of agribusiness at Arizona State reported that between 10 and 20 % of the supply of crops from the Sunshine State could be lost. He predicted that avocados would increase up to $ 0. 35, cherries up to $ 0. 43. Broccoli 40 cents, grapes 50 cents, lettuce 62 cents, tomatoes 45 cents. So far based on retail sales data from the Neilson Perishables Group, Richard's forecast is on the money. Despite an increase in imported foods aimed to curb prices, Americans will continue to see prices shift upward as Americans still spend less at the grocery store than any nation on Earth. However, the most affected populations will be low income families, facing food stamp cuts and lack of access to fresh produce. But if California is experiencing a mega drought, would be like a financial crisis every year. 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