2020 - 2021 California and Southwest Weather Discussion Thread

[Jesse]

What's that bright thing up in the sky?

Probably the thing you see 300+ days a year on average.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Still got 0.01" today for the Foothill Ranch station.

[Reg]

We didn't get any rain here in Murrieta over the weekend, yet some parts of the IE got over 1/2 inch.

[Dan the Weatherman]

Today was the warmest day in quite a while here in Orange with temps reaching the upper 70's. Despite the flow being offshore and some light Santa Ana winds being forecast, there was no wind here in Orange, but there may have been some wind closer to the Santa Ana Mountains, such as in Fremont Canyon and other areas like that.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Finally a sunny start to the day.

[Reg]

83F at my house today, warmest temperature since February 28.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Did the warm weather cause more people to go outside and cause a rise in COVID-19 cases?

[Jesse]

Did the warm weather cause more people to go outside and cause a rise in COVID-19 cases?

Yes. It has happened up here too.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Still only 25 cases in Lake Forest.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Now there's a missing 12-year-old girl in Lake Forest.

 

Weather was warm again today, but it's cooling down now.

[Anti Marine Layer]

They found the missing girl. She is ok.

[Reg]

Some scattered showers near Riverside but nothing down here today.

[Dan the Weatherman]

No rain yet here in Orange, either. There might be something overnight into tomorrow morning, since there is a 30% chance of showers here in Orange County tomorrow morning.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Could get pretty warm by the end of next week. It will be a preview to a summer without pools and beaches.

[Anti Marine Layer]

It has started to rain pretty heavily here.

[Anti Marine Layer]

This is no marine layer drizzle or light rain. It's pouring right now.

[Dan the Weatherman]

There was a downpour here in Orange early this morning between 5 and 5:30 am. I will post a storm total after this event is finished.

[Anti Marine Layer]

0.16" at the Foothill Ranch station.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Could be 96 by next Thursday in Palm Springs.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Many places stayed 60 or above last night.

[Reg]

Sprinkled here earlier, but not enough to wet the ground. Still 0.00” here.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Some brightness towards the coast this afternoon. Took a 1.3 mile walk without getting close to anybody.

[Dan the Weatherman]

I received 0.14" here in Orange from this morning's brief downpour.

[Anti Marine Layer]

More sunshine but still very cool today.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Very windy this afternoon.

[Dan the Weatherman]

It was somewhat breezy here in Orange and Anaheim Hills, but nothing out of the ordinary.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Warm weather at the end of the week could get the jacarandas into bloom.

[Omegaraptor]

Friday looks pretty hot in southern CA.

[Thunder98]

The week is going to be hot for Santa Maria! These temps are more typical in September with the offshore flow.

 

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Warmer today but still relatively cool. Nice afternoon.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Much warmer today. It was pretty hot.

[Dan the Weatherman]

I can't believe the heat is forecast to linger through the entire 7 day period for inland Orange County. A Santa Ana pattern is developing Thursday evening into Friday, which leads to the hottest weather on Friday with low-mid 90's, followed by slight cooling going into Saturday. What is not normal is that highs in the low-upper 80's are forecast for the remainder of the 7 day period, as opposed to a cool down with the return of the marine layer sometime early next week as what normally happens this time of the year. 

 

Years that are wet during March and April in Socal such as this year has been don't usually feature prolonged heat in April and May. Years that the rainy season shuts down early (either in late February or March little significant rain afterward) tend to have spikes of heat in April and May and there can be several of these spikes in the spring and sometimes have longer lasting spells of heat. This upcoming forecast reminds me of the latter type of winter, as opposed to the former, which we are currently experiencing.

 

Years with abnormally early ending rainy seasons include the following: 1996-97, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13, 2013-14.

[Omegaraptor]

Parts of northern CA have been insanely dry this year, some places even beating out 2013 for dryness so far.

 

The town of Willows in the Sacramento Valley is at 1.96" precipitation so far in 2020. This beats out 2013 by exactly an inch. The average amount of precipitation by April 22 in Willows is 13.07".

[Anti Marine Layer]

Blocking patterns whether it be prolonged cool and wet or prolonged hot and dry seem to be a lovely feature of climate change.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Dewpoints are still in the 50s here.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Hot weather will have people desperate to get to the beaches this weekend.

[Reg]

100F in Lake Elsinore this afternoon, 97F at my place in Murrieta. What's also unusual is the warm overnight lows, in the low 60s which is rare for April.

[Anti Marine Layer]

It's a hot one today.

[Dan the Weatherman]

Even though the Santa Ana winds never came up here at my place in Orange, it really warmed up significantly this afternoon reaching a high of about 97. It will still be hot the next couple of days, but not quite to the extent of today.

 

After this hot spell comes to a close around Tuesday of next week, I predict that in Orange County, both inland and coastal areas will not reach 90 degrees again until late June or early July. Rainy seasons that extend well into April like this year don't usually have a lot of hot weather episodes in late April and May, unlike those seasons like 2004 and 2008 in which the rains ended in late February and early March. Furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if we get yet a couple more chances of some rainfall, whether it is a cutoff low tapping into some moisture, or a marine layer event of light rain / drizzle caused by a low passing to our north. I expect the marine layer to be quite dominant for a good portion of May and the first part of June once this hot spell comes to an end.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Warm night here. Most places got no cooler than the mid 60s.