Qian Cao, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States, Michael J Deflorio, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E), La Jolla, CA, United States, F Martin Ralph, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, La Jolla, CA, United States and Dennis P Lettenmaier, UCLA, Department of Geography, Los Angeles, CA, United States