Sean Greene

Meager snowpack adds to Colorado River's woes, straining flows to Southern California Melting snow from California's Sierra Nevada is filling reservoirs. But dry conditions have shrunk the flow of the Colorado River, straining a vital supply for Southern California.

Warm and very dry conditions are shrinking the flow of the Colorado River. With the meager snowmelt, the river's already depleted reservoirs will probably decline further this year.

See the latest data explained by @sean-greene.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/environment/... @datagraphics.bsky.social

Squirrels are threatening to overrun a Santa Monica park — friendly visitors are partly to blame, city says Ground squirrels at this park have long been a problem for the city, which has been cited by the county for overpopulation and has tried a number of suppression methods.

Don't feed the squirrels www.latimes.com/california/s...

Found some hatchling black-bellied slender salamanders in the backyard.

Reptiles are everywhere! www.latimes.com/environment/...

You won’t regret reading this delightful story by @sean-greene.bsky.social.

Our friendly neighborhood fence lizard: Why Californians love this reptile According to one app for nature observers, it's the most commonly seen creature in California: the western fence lizard. Why? The answer reflects how humans have invaded its space and how it has adapt...

I wrote about why we love the western fence lizard, America's most commonly observed reptile.

www.latimes.com/environment/...

Do you live in a wildfire hazard zone? Here’s what that means Cal Fire added at least 2.8 million Californians to fire hazard zones. Here's how to check which zone you're in and what that means.

Cal Fire added 2.8 million Californias in fire hazard zones. So, we at @latimes.com read through every single reference to the zones in the state’s codes to find out what exactly that means for residents and communities. Here’s everything you need to know: www.latimes.com/environment/...

Water officials knew that opening dams to meet Trump's wishes was ill-advised. Here's why it happened anyway A memo from an Army Corps of Engineers officer shows water managers and lawmakers pushed back against the Trump administration's plan to dump water from two California dams.

“Depraved and mind-blowing”: Water officials knew that opening dams to meet Trump’s wishes was ill-advised. Here’s why it happened anyway:
www.latimes.com/environment/... #CAwater

Sign up for In Case of Fire, our fire-preparation newsletter course You can’t always stop wildfires from starting, but you can prepare for them.

My @latimes colleague @karenmg.bsky.social has a great new newsletter, In Case of Fire, to help you prepare for the inevitable next fire. Climate change is a big part of the story. Sign up here: www.latimes.com/archives/sig...

California’s snowpack is below average in the central and southern Sierra Nevada. Across the mountain range, the snowpack now measures 85% of average for this time of year. @sean-greene.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...

Cal Fire releases new hazard maps for the Bay Area and wine country Cal Fire added more than 360,000 acres in coastal Northern California to its fire hazard zones where heightened fire safety regulations will apply. New Southern California maps come out March 24.

Cal Fire is back with more new hazard maps. This time for the Bay Area. Here's what we found 🧵(story with our resident map wizard @sean-greene.bsky.social) www.latimes.com/environment/...

Real estate losses from fires top $30 billion, from old mobile homes to $23-million mansions A Times analysis shows that half the homes destroyed in Pacific Palisades and Altadena were rentals, raising questions about the future of affordable housing in the communities.

Real estate losses from fires top $30 billion, from old mobile homes to $23-million mansions
www.latimes.com/california/s... by @sandhyak.bsky.social & Doug Smith

View of the mountains near sunset with shrubs in the foreground

Space Mountain

Cal Fire begins releasing new state-mandated maps showing highest fire hazard areas Cal Fire released updated fire hazard maps for dozens of cities and towns in inland Northern California. All but one saw an increase in the number of acres in zones with heightened fire safety regulat...

NEW: Newsom's office announced California would add 1.4 million acres to its highest fire hazard zones where heightened regulations apply. We've uncovered the proposed maps for inland NorCal. Here's what we found: 🧵https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-02-13/cal-fires-new-fire-hazard-maps

The Guild Eagle: What's really happening at the L.A. Times? — L.A. Times Guild - Los Angeles Times Guild We need your help to keep delivering the best coverage of our city.

A lot has happened at the L.A. Times, some of it taking the focus away from our excellent journalism.

If you want to know what's really going on, I'd suggest you keep an eye on the Guild Eagle. First issue written by me:

latguild.com/news/2025/2/...

Cal Fire's predictions didn't foresee the Altadena inferno. Now it's changing its fire-hazard maps The vast majority of homes destroyed in the Eaton fire were outside of Cal Fire's "very high" fire hazard severity zones, yet a newer approach by an independent company had found Altadena had "severe"...

Only 21% of Altadena properties in the Eaton fire were in Cal Fire's highest fire hazard zone, but other fire modelers found 94% had severe or extreme fire risk. Cal Fire is now reconsidering how it models fire. Story w/ @bposton.bsky.social @sean-greene.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/environment/...

Cal Fire's predictions didn't foresee the Altadena inferno. Now it's changing its fire-hazard maps The vast majority of homes destroyed in the Eaton fire were outside of Cal Fire's "very high" fire hazard severity zones, yet a newer approach by an independent company had found Altadena had "severe"...

Thousands of Altadena properties destroyed by the Eaton fire were outside of Cal Fire's hazard zones. More advanced models deemed the area's risk "severe" and "extreme." www.latimes.com/environment/... by @nohaggerty.bsky.social @bposton.bsky.social

The water unexpectedly released from dams on Trump’s order didn't help farms or L.A. The Trump administration abruptly sent water flowing from two California dams. The action could leave less water in dams for the summer, when farmers typically use it.

We did the math: On Trump's order, two Central Valley dams released at least 2 billion gallons of water. It didn't help farms or Los Angeles. www.latimes.com/environment/... by @ianjames.bsky.social @jessicagarrison.bsky.social

A chart shows the outflows of water from two California dams over three days.

More than 2 billion gallons were released from the reservoirs over three days. Graphic by @sean-greene.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/... @latimes.com

The water unexpectedly released from dams on Trump’s order didn't help farms or L.A. The Trump administration abruptly sent water flowing from two California dams. The action could leave less water in dams for the summer, when farmers typically use it.

Where did all the water go after it was released from two dams? My colleagues and I looked into the sudden water releases ordered by Trump, and here is what we found: www.latimes.com/environment/... @jessicagarrison.bsky.social @sean-greene.bsky.social @latimes.com #CAwater

L.A. fire live updates: Hughes fire breaks out north of Castaic, evacuations ordered, I-5 closed Amid an extended red flag warning, a new fire exploded north of Castaic. Evacuations were ordered after 11 a.m. Wind gusts reached 31 mph Wednesday afternoon in the area and were expected to increase ...

Hughes fire causing unhealthy air across swath of Southern California www.latimes.com/california/l...

Mapping the damage from the Eaton and Palisades fires We're tracking damage assessments from the Eaton and Palisades fires, which destroyed 12,000 structures in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.

We mapped the damages from the Eaton and Palisades fires
@latimes.com @sean-greene.bsky.social @cshalby.bsky.social @nohaggerty.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/california/s...

And out comes the Folgers

More importantly, when will I memorize the command to undo the commit?

How many times in one project will I push an excessively large file to GitHub?

Altadena had soul, solitude and community. Can those qualities survive devastating firestorm? The Eaton fire cut a brutal swath through Altadena and a cherished way of life in this eclectic foothill community it upended.

I grew up in Altadena in my great-grandmother’s old home. The house is safe, but just a few blocks away is devastation.

Childhood friends lost their homes. Places I knew my whole life are gone.

I wrote about this special community with @brittnymejia.bsky.social + @melissagomez.bsky.social

Map of the Palisades fire around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. It is 772 acres burning in Topanga State Park.

Map of the Palisades fire on Wednesday at 1 p.m. It has now spread from Pacific Palisades to Malibu, meeting the Franklin fire burn scar.

I mapped the Palisades fire's rapid spread in its first day for @latimes.com @datagraphics.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

The Palisades fire, which began this morning, has already burned all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

By all estimates, tomorrow's fire risk across Southern California will be much worse.

Yes, it's January — but this has the potential to be one of the worst firestorms on record in California.

L.A.'s water supply looks good right now — but it might not last The first snowpack survey of the season in the Sierra Nevada shows that L.A.'s water supply looks good right now. But there are warning signs that we are in for dry seasons in the coming months.

L.A.'s water supply looks good right now — but it might not last www.latimes.com/environment/... by @nohaggerty.bsky.social

California's piers may not be able to withstand climate change Climate change continues to worsen the coastal storms that batter California's aging piers. The result is frequent and expensive repairs.

California’s piers may not be able to withstand climate change
www.latimes.com/environment/... by @nohaggerty.bsky.social

Line chart shows the Sierra snowpack level as a percentage of the average peak.

You can see how Northern California's recent bouts with atmospheric rivers have impacted the Sierra snowpack

from @datagraphics.bsky.social water supplies tracker
www.latimes.com/projects/cal...