Lake Berryessa News

(4/20/26)

04/05/2026 438.86

04/06/2026 438.83

04/07/2026 438.80

04/08/2026 438.78

04/09/2026 438.71

04/10/2026 438.72

04/11/2026 438.73

04/12/2026 438.81

04/13/2026 438.84

04/14/2026 438.85

04/15/2026 438.86

04/16/2026 438.82

04/17/2026 438.79

04/18/2026 438.78

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Who Says Weather Reporters Can't Be Sensationalists Too?
 
Is a "Super" El Niño Coming in 2026? Here’s What Scientists Are Saying
by Simmone Shah - Time Magazine

 
Climate scientists believe that a rare, strong El Niño—typically known as a “Super El Niño” could form in the coming months. Strong El Niños do not happen often—there have been only five since 1950, with the last taking place from 2015 to 2016.
 
(Lake Berryessa News Editor's Note: 2016 was also the end of an 11 year drought at Lake Berryessa. The lake hit 443.59 feet on 2/21/17 - 3.59 feet above Glory Hole. The 2016 annual rainfall (7/1/16 to 6/30/17) was at a high of 47.6 inches and Lake Berryessa rose 44 feet in 2 months from 12/10/16 to 2/21/17!)

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Scientists still aren’t sure whether an El Niño is certain this year, but the likelihood is increasing, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting on April 9 a 61% chance of an El Niño, and a one in four chance that it might be strong. (Lake Berryessa News Editor's Note: Actually it's definitely a 50/50 chance - it either will happen or it won't happen!)
 
The prediction comes on the heels of record-setting weather. January through March of this year was the driest on record in the United States, while Europe experienced its second-warmest March on record. The Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that March had its second-warmest global sea surface temperature on record, further indicating the possibility for El Niño conditions to form later this year.
 
A strong El Niño, colloquially referred to as a “super El Niño” occurs when average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific rise at least 2°C. El Niño occurs when warm water that's built up in the West Pacific sloshes to the east and replaces that normally cold water with warmer water. And a super El Niño condition is when that warmer water basically erases the cold tongue.
 
A strong El Niño year can typically mean a quieter Atlantic hurricane season, but could bring more hurricanes to the Central Pacific. The summer monsoon season in South Asia could be weaker, and the fall and winter could bring drought conditions to parts of the Amazon and Australia. In the U.S., parts of the South might see more rain and cooler temperatures, while the northern areas could experience warmer-than-average temperatures.
 
Strong El Niños can alter weather patterns for years. A December 2025 study found that a super El Niño year can trigger “climate regime shifts”—sudden and persistent changes in a climate system that pose serious threats to ecosystems and human well-being, and a warming world would make them a more frequent occurrence. The researchers found that after the 2015-16 super El Niño, the Gulf of Mexico reached a new sustained level of warmth that might have contributed to stronger hurricanes along the Gulf Coast in the following years.

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Talk About Stupidism! It's Not Even an April Fool's Joke!

"Stupidism" is a term referring to the embrace of willful ignorance, anti-intellectualism, or acts of stupidity. It is generally used to describe a stance where absurdity is accepted or celebrated, sometimes including the advocacy of illogical, wacky ideas or belief systems.

There's a startling new plastic surgery trend. It's called 'rib remodeling.'

"Rib remodeling," involves surgically altering the ribs in order to make the waist look smaller. The recovery can be tough, and the cost is high. Though it's far safer than the alternative rib removal surgery, it's not without risks, either.
The trend also comes at a time when weight-loss medications are on the rise, more ultra-thin physiques appear to dominate red carpets and some social media users have built platforms off the outward pursuit of thinness.
The rib cage comprises the sternum, ribs, and vertebrae. Typically, there are 12 ribs on each side, corresponding to the vertebrae labeled 1 through 12. The ribs are categorized as follows:

True ribs (Ribs 1–7): Connect directly from the vertebrae to the sternum. False ribs (Ribs 8–12): These connect to the vertebrae but do not have a direct connection to the sternum. Floating ribs (Ribs 11 and 12): These are only connected to the vertebrae and have no attachment to the sternum.

Plastic surgeons often remove the floating ribs (11 and 12) to help narrow the waist. These two ribs are located at the bottom of the rib cage and are typically smaller, with cartilage at the tip. Since they do not attach to the sternum, they are positioned over the mid-waist area. In rib remodeling, you don't remove any bones. Instead, you surgically alter the ribs − essentially breaking them, on purpose − so they heal in a different shape.

One doctor said, "It started where people were removing ribs, but surgeons no longer do that anymore. In reality, once you lose weight and let's say you get to your optimal physical fitness, the limitation in terms of your waist and how narrow it can be compared to your hips − is the lower ribs. The procedure is 'generally safe' when done by a surgeon specifically trained in this procedure, though there is "some risk" of lung injury."

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Paul Franson's weekly Napa Valley Life is jam-packed with interesting information about Napa Valley events and out-and abouts. His links to the ubiquitous food truck culture makes my mouth water.
Find the pdf version at www.napalife.org/7556.pdf.
 
Find the web version at www.napalife.org/7556.html.
 
Where is what food truck?
 
It’s very challenging to keep track of the many food trucks in our community, and it’s not just because they have wheels. They change their offerings, disappear for private events and move to different locations. It’s so challenging that I’m happy to see a new website that tracks them.

See www.napafoodtrucks.com.

We also have a list with useful information at www.napalife.org/foodtrucks.pdf.

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Glory Hole Watch 2026 has slowed. For historical perspective, watch Evan Kilkus' Lake Berryessa News drone videos of the dramatic rise of Lake Berryessa as it finally spilled over Glory Hole on 2/16/17 after an 11-year drought at:

https://youtu.be/bGJvofIyTwQ   1/11/17: 10"+ of Rain Takes Its Toll, But Lake Berryessa is Rising 
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https://youtu.be/PRWAfVw9DBU    2/10/17: Lake Berryessa Is Almost Full
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https://youtu.be/8pIPsgLFggk   2/12/17: Lake Berryessa Splashes Over Glory Hole -With a Little Help

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https://youtu.be/EH0LQW7iduY  2/12/17: Breathtakingly Beautiful Drone Tour of Lake Berryessa
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https://youtu.be/cB0BKIm1EzM 2/16/17: Lake Berryessa Is Full &Splashing Over the Spillway
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https://youtu.be/uQp0QConILY 2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
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Original ACDC version of: 2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
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https://youtu.be/-iHAjOrrU4k 2/21/17: Lake Berryessa is 3.5' OVER the Glory Hole Spillway
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https://youtu.be/qhPzR2Gqzs0 2/24/17: Another Breathtaking Drone Tour of a Full Lake Berryessa

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Track the real-time Lake Berryessa weather at:
 
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1
 
Berryessa Pines
KCANAPA461
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA461
 

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Lake Berryessa Fire Watch Cameras

This site covers the whole Lake Berryessa Region.

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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Free Book Chapters Available For Download

My sincere thanks to those of you who contributed to the future of the Lake Berryessa News. I challenge you to find any Lake Berryessa news anywhere. Hopefully, the many years of our intensive reporting about the latest Lake Berryessa issues will convince you of the truth of our motto, "Without The Lake Berryessa News there would be no Lake Berryessa news".

Here's a gift from The Lake Berryessa News to my readers - Free downloadable chapters from my books:


Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource:

The Death of a Valley

Why Does Lake Berryessa Exist?

The Lake Berryessa Watershed

Rainfall and Lake Level History

How High Is Lake Berryessa?

How Deep is Lake Berryessa?

How Much Water Does Lake Berryessa Hold?

Mean Sea Level: Is There Such A Thing As Accurate Height?

Water In, Water Out, But From Where?

Does the WALROS Like Lake Berryessa?

Why is Lake Berryessa Not a Part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument?

East Side Story

Hiking and Wildlife Viewing

Are There Quail on Quail Ridge?

Why Does A Hiker Cross The Road? To Get To Stebbins Cold Canyon!

Private Houseboats - Yes; Private RVs & Trailers - No: Why?

Motorized Boats Banned From Big Island Lagoon! Why!

Archeologists Can't Dunk But Can Dig

What Can't You Do At Lake Berryessa?

Napa Opposes Building the Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Construction
Raise Monticello Dam

Power Generation at Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Failure Analysis

Predicting the Future & Glory Hole Drone Videos

As Lake Berryessa Turns!

The Ins and Outs & Ups and Downs of Lake Berryessa

Does Lake Berryessa Sweat in the Summer?

Glory Hole Introduction

How Does Glory Hole Work?

Glory Hole: Awesome, Frightening, But Dangerous?

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Lake Berryessa Political History (Free Downloads of Book Chapters)

Policy And Politics Betray The People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020, By Peter Kilkus

 
I. The Five Tragedies Of The Berryessa Valley: A History Of Heartbreak
 
II. Lake Berryessa Political History Timeline
 
III. The “Big Lie”: How It All Began
 
IV. The “Big Fail”: Napa Abandons Lake Berryessa (1975)
 
V. The “Big Picture”: Lake Berryessa Issues: 1957 - 2012
 
VI. The “Big Illusion”: Notice Of Intent
 
VII. The “Big Fight”: Facts Do Matter
 
VIII. The “Big Betrayal”: Perversion Of Public Law 96-375
 
IX. The “Big Mistake”: Pensus - The Beginning Was The End!
 
X. The “Big Hole In History”: Post-Pensus Blues
 
XI. The “Big Boondoggle”: Creation Of A Phony National Monument
 
Addendum 1. Dueling Napa Register Letters To The Editor
 
Addendum 2. The Napa Register View
 
Index Of  Primary Documents

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Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource

 https://www.amazon.com/Lake-Berryessa-Technical-Manual-Engineering-ebook/dp/B0C21DZ9M9/ref=sr_1_3?

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Policy and Politics Betray the People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Policy-Politics-Betray-People-Berryessa-ebook/dp/B08MFSQDBR/ref=sr_1_1?
 
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Conspiracy Theory or Automatic Pilot: The Economic Roots of Environmental Destruction

 https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-Automatic-Pilot-Environmental/dp/1676368302/ref=sr_1_3?


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The KPIX Eye on the Bay interview below is one I did in 2010 and a relevant introduction to the substance of the book. I did it after Pensus had been given the contract for 5 resorts. As we all know Pensus was subsequently kicked out in 2012. 

https://youtu.be/nP9K8Ai0Lkc

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Lake Berryessa Data Sources

There are many sources of Lake Berryessa water and weather conditions available. The Solano County Water Agency site is good for real-time graphs of level, capacity, and water temperature. The California Data Exchange Center has data going back decades for level, capacity, capacity change, dam outflow, dam inflow, and rainfall. Anyone can research their own data and create custom charts. This is the source of many of the charts on the Lake Berryessa News website.

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An upgraded wildfire alert camera system will be keeping watch on Napa County day and night and notifying Cal Fire crews of potential fires. Twenty cameras will be part of a system that will use artificial intelligence and other technologies to identify fire and smoke. If they detect something, an alert will sound in the Cal Fire emergency command center near St. Helena.

Cal Fire has made a large investment into the ALERTCalifornia system, partnering with UC San Diego. There are 1,000 cameras across the state and Napa County is one of the test models. Cameras can see 60 miles during the day, and this can increase to 120 miles on clear nights, with the changes in the air. The system can differentiate among smoke, clouds and dust. A link to this camera system and other relevant weather data is available on the Lake Berryessa News website at: http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

This website was created by Doug Kunst. It is an amazing resource for Lake Berryessa fire cameras and weather. His business website is http://www.rntl.net/

Lake Berryessa Fire Alert Cameras

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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 Real-Time Lake Level, Lake Capacity, Water Temperature
 
Solano County Water Agency
 
https://www.scwamonitoring.com/LakeBerryessa/
 
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Lake Detailed Historical Data
 
California Data Exchange Center
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/
 
Research historical data and create custom plots
 
Lake Berryessa Code: BER
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/sensorplots?staid=ber&dur_code=D
 
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Local Weather Stations (Weather Underground Network)
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1