California’s ‘ghost lake’ reappears after sodden winter

New satellite images document the re-emergence of Tulare Lake, and residents brace for more flooding as snowpack starts to melt

New satellite images released from Nasa this week showcase the dramatic reappearance of California’s Tulare Lake after water swallowed swaths of land across the state’s agricultural center that had long been dry.

Taken between the start of February and the end of April and colored artificially to help distinguish the water from vegetation and bare ground, the images highlight the scale of the transformation across the region still grappling with the aftermath of this winter’s heavy rains and snow.