Satellite Image Shows California Wildflower Blooms After The Wet Winter

California has been inundated with loads of flooding this year. With so much snow and water in the winter, spring is now beginning to burst forth in the state with a flood of wildflowers.

Droughts aren't new to California, and the state has been crawling through one in recent years. 2022, for instance, had the driest January, February and March in more than 100 years.

This year, however, California experienced a particularly wet winter, with recent storms easing the drought conditions in parts of the state. The conditions changed so much so that there has been wonder as to whether we would see a "superbloom" this year. These are rare large wildflower blooms wherein areas appear to be covered in a sea of stunning flowers, according to National Geographic.

While it's unclear if the year is shaping up for such a phenomenon, a satellite image of California shows a rather hopeful view.

In the image, which was taken by the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) instrument on the Landsat 9 satellite on April 6 and then shared by NASA Earth Observatory, one can see a rather green view of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, a nature preserve that's just a few hours away from Los Angeles.

The area, indeed, appears quite lush with various shades of green in much of the area. Compared to the views of the same area on the same date in 2022, this year's view is "considerably greener and more colorful," the agency noted.

A more close-up view of the area, also shared by NASA Earth Observatory, shows more clearly that the area is already beginning to bloom for the Springtime.

In a blog post released on Monday, Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native Plants, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of California's native plants and wildflowers, noted that "mass blooms are already underway" in various areas in California.

"With the consistently timed and abundant rain that we've had, a true spring of life is unfolding across the region," the organization said. "With the potential for a once-in-a-generation bloom, the global news cycle has picked up wildflower appreciation and the awe-inspiring natural events that occur during a wet year."

It's still unclear whether the wet winter would lead to a legendary superbloom, but it appears to be shaping up for a "well-above average" one, Abby Wines, Death Valley National Park ranger, said, as per National Geographic. The vast majority (nine out of 10) of blooms happened after winters that had higher than average precipitation, according to NASA Earth Observatory.

But despite the hope brought by the respite from drought and the potential for a stunning superbloom, California's dry and wet spells remain to be "unpredictable and extreme" because of climate change, according to California officials. In response to the rain and snowfall, for instance, Gov. Gavin Newson rolled back some drought emergency provisions but still maintained some where they are still needed.

"The weather whiplash we've experienced in the past few months makes it crystal clear that Californians and our water system have to adapt to increasingly extreme swings between drought and flood," Gov. Newson said in March. "As we welcome this relief from the drought, we must remain focused on continuing our all-of-the-above approach to future-proofing California's water supply."