Weather whiplash: California’s historic downpour interrupts historic drought

The deluge extinguished smoldering fires - but the west may not get the wet winter it desperately needs

Over the span of two days, dramatic scenes of dried landscapes and wildfires that have defined California's summer were replaced with surging rivers, floods and mudflows as a historic rainstorm - deemed a category 5 atmospheric river - pummeled the state.

For scientists, the storm - though shocking in its magnitude - was not a surprise. It's been clear that the climate crisis would intensify the extremes between wet and dry seasons, but many wonder whether this weather whiplash is a preview of catastrophes to come.