Was 2021 a superbloom year?
Not a superbloom year
No. The 2020–21 rain came in under the big-year mark at every desert we measure, and no agency called a superbloom anywhere. Springs like this still put flowers out; they put them out in scattered patches rather than in swaths.
The rain behind it: 2020–21
A desert spring is paid for by the winter before it. These are the season totals at the nearest long-running weather station to each desert, October 1 through May 31, against the totals that big springs have historically followed.
| Desert | 2020–21 rain | Big-year mark | How it landed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death Valley | 0.44" | 2.0" | Under the big-year mark |
| Anza-Borrego | 1.83" | 3.5" | Under the big-year mark |
| Antelope Valley | 1.77" | 5.0" | Under the big-year mark |
| Carrizo Plain | 4.66" | 6.0" | Under the big-year mark |
Measured, in the order of the table, at Death Valley (Furnace Creek), Borrego Desert Park, Lancaster (Fox Field) and New Cuyama — the nearest long-running station to each desert. Records from NOAA.