California could see a wildflower superbloom this year — what is that, and how can you see it?

A California mayor recently announced she would shut down a canyon so that the public could not view a superbloom. What is a superbloom – and why are tourists being advised not to visit? 

California's deserts often do not get enough rain to support extensive plants. Superblooms are the result of "a regular series of soaking rains" from October through February, according to the University of California—Riverside. Such was the case in 2019, when cooler weather contributed to the longevity of the bloom, said Cameron Barrows, an associate research ecologist at UC Riverside's Center for Conservation Biology.