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2019 California and Southwest Weather Discussion Thread


Thunder98

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I have never seen the Santa Ana Mountains covered in snow as much as this evening! Even the lower peaks extending north to the 91 Freeway were covered! I posted some pictures of the snow-covered mountains over on Weather West (weatherwest.com) if anyone is interested. My handle and avatar over there are the same as here, and a few others posted pictures of the Santa Anas as well. You can view the site as a guest, so registration isn't required, unless you want to post.

 

It appears I need a storage area for uploading pictures on here and I currently don't have anything set up right now. 

Nice pictures!

 

Also, you can use Imgur like I do for my images. No account needed or anything.

 

 

 

 

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I drove up to Anza today, where there was still snow on the ground above 3,000 feet (although even there, it was slowly melting). It was pretty cold up there, but I enjoyed it.

 

I took a few not-so-artistic pictures from a spot where I had lunch. Elevation there was about 3930 feet.

 

East, toward Santa Rosa Mountain & Toro Peak:

Vuhdmlu.jpg

 

North, toward Thomas Mountain:

vx5DFYP.jpg

j9Yjbey.jpg

 

South, toward Iron Spring Mountain 

BHhMz8s.jpg

 

 

 

 

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So they're saying there's a weak El Nino now, but El Nino is supposed to give us storms from the subtropical jet stream and not this record-breaking cold we've been having. Most storms have actually been pretty weak except for a few stronger ones with atmospheric rivers. Would expect more storms like that.

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Managed an 8th straight night in the 30s with a low of 38. That makes 13 lows in the 30s on the month, well over the previous record of 8 in February 1998.

 

I'm headed up to Oregon on Monday so I won't be able to compile monthly data until after I return around March 20. With the warmup at the end of the month, I'll be interested to see if 2-2019 still beats out 2-1998 for coldest month in my period of record here (1992).

Might have a snow event waiting for you up here on Monday.

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I certainly see a lot of discussion about it over there on the PNW subforum, but honestly, it seems like wishcasting. The major models seem to agree that it's all rain for Eugene and points south, as does the NWS.

 

The sharp N-S temperature gradient means I may see all rain on my drive up from CA, even at 4,000' in the passes.

 

Looking forward to seeing all the snow in the Cascades, though!

Most the discussion has been about Portland and Seattle, which both have a realistic shot at something. I haven’t seen much wishcasting for Eugene, just the usual sadcasting from TWL. But there has been a pretty notable southerly trend the last 24 hours...

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I noticed on the 21st that the NWS San Diego had mentioned the February 1980 storms in their This Day in History report.

 

1980: Six storms that started on 2/13 hit Southern California ending on this day. Rainfall totals were impressive across the region with 19.74 inches at Palomar Mountain, 17.28 inches in Big Bear, 12.75 inches in L.A. and 4.47 inches in San Diego. 30 were killed in widespread floods and mud slides. Roads and hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged and killed five people. Post-fire flooding overwhelmed a basin below Harrison Canyon in north San Bernardino four times. Forty homes were damaged or destroyed there. Mission Valley was completely inundated between Friars Rd. and I-8. Large waves hit coast during this stormy period, causing coastal flooding at Mission Beach, including water over the boardwalk and into houses. This day marked the end of nine consecutive days (the most on record) of measurable precipitation in San Diego, Riverside and Palm Springs, which started on 2/13. This also occurred on 2/26- 3/6/1983 and 2/5-2/13/1978 in San Diego and 1/19-1/27/1969 in Riverside.

 

 

 

 

 

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Both the December 2014 storm with the very low snow levels and the recent storm had beautiful rainbows. This is probably due to the colder storms being more convective which causes more activity inland than along the coast. So the coast is usually sunnier with all the storm activity inland. The sun sets into the ocean so it's good for seeing rainbows.

 

Still wish I could find my pictures of the December 2014 storm. There was a lot more snow on the western side of the Santa Ana mountains.

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Both the December 2014 storm with the very low snow levels and the recent storm had beautiful rainbows. This is probably due to the colder storms being more convective which causes more activity inland than along the coast. So the coast is usually sunnier with all the storm activity inland. The sun sets into the ocean so it's good for seeing rainbows.

 

Still wish I could find my pictures of the December 2014 storm. There was a lot more snow on the western side of the Santa Ana mountains.

I still have pictures from the December 2014 storm, here on the eastern side of the Santa Ana Mountains.

 

I took these just after the rain had transitioned to snow, right after midnight. Keep in mind, my elevation is only 1240 FT. Temperature was 33.3 F, if I recall correctly:

 

3oOs0kJ.jpg

QvT5s1e.jpg

6z8wnds.jpg

RH0C9yY.jpg

rCJVV1w.jpg

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Found a picture of the December 2014 snow event that I had on Facebook. Much more snow than this last one. Also have pictures of the rainbow, but they did not come out too good because my smartphone camera was not as good back then.

Think you'll get snow again in lower Orange County (and I suppose L.A.) in your lifetime?  :D

 

 

 

 

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Earlier the forecast for thursday was supposed to me around 72F. Now it's only forecasted to reach 62F with a slight chance of showers. Now February is very likely to a day without ever reaching +70F! Yay!

 

2267398b67810f82df0b905374e9b69d33f2969b

We have a similar record being broken up here this month but it’s for days not reaching 50F. Nice to see a solidly cold month up and down the west coast. We were due.

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Still below 70 today, but it felt warmer due to the higher February sun angle, crystal clear skies, and only gentle breezes. Also with all the cold weather we've been having recently, normal temperatures feel pretty warm.

 

Still the month is averaging more than 5.0 F below normal, which is pretty amazing considering how warm the past few winters have been.

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GEM says it won't end soon...

 

gem_mslp_pcpn_frzn_wus_40.png

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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Think you'll get snow again in lower Orange County (and I suppose L.A.) in your lifetime?  :D

 

Hopefully.

 

After the somewhat warmer days, the ranking of February high temperature for Downtown L.A. has fallen. However, unless we can go above the 62.11 average for 1969, it will still be the coldest in 57 years. 

 

Year AvgHigh

1962 59.82

1911 60.11

1887 60.36

1919 61.11

1922 61.11

2019 61.12

1880 61.14

1909 61.39

1891 61.50

1949 61.64

1882 61.75

1913 61.79

1915 61.89

1944 61.90

1956 62.00

1894 62.04

1897 62.04

1969 62.11

 

 

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The ranking is final. A tie for 8th place.

 

Year AverageHigh
1962 59.82
1911 60.11
1887 60.36
1922 61.11
1919 61.11
1880 61.14
1909 61.39
2019 61.50
1891 61.50
1949 61.64
1882 61.75
1913 61.79
1915 61.89
1944 61.90
1956 62.00
1897 62.04
1894 62.04
1969 62.11
1939 62.21
1929 62.50
2001 62.54
1892 62.59
1927 62.79
1903 63.00
1883 63.04
1937 63.25
1878 63.50
1888 63.52
1936 63.55
1908 63.62
1884 63.79
1975 64.07
1917 64.14
1938 64.18
1918 64.21
1998 64.25
1902 64.25
1948 64.31
1945 64.36
1959 64.50
1879 64.50
1946 64.54
1932 64.55
1960 64.72
1890 64.79
1942 64.93
2011 64.96
1989 65.00
1976 65.00
2004 65.10
1920 65.14
1904 65.17
1910 65.18
1979 65.25
2000 65.38
1893 65.50
1899 65.54
1933 65.61
1993 65.79
1951 65.79
1923 65.82
1925 65.89
1950 65.93
1941 65.93
1966 66.14
1906 66.25
2005 66.61
2017 66.71
2009 67.00
1905 67.00
1990 67.04
2012 67.07
1934 67.11
1901 67.14
2008 67.17
1940 67.21
2003 67.29
1955 67.29
1921 67.39
1952 67.41
1978 67.82
1958 67.82
1916 67.90
1957 67.93
1895 67.93
2013 68.04
1973 68.11
1935 68.29
1994 68.32
1931 68.43
1996 68.45
1930 68.46
2010 68.54
1971 68.79
1898 68.79
1965 68.86
1999 68.93
1889 68.93
1928 69.31
1964 69.34
1914 69.52
1987 69.64
1885 69.71
1881 69.75
2018 69.79
1947 69.86
1943 69.96
1974 70.07
1926 70.07
1953 70.18
1912 70.21
1972 70.28
1997 70.39
2014 70.50
2006 70.54
1970 70.54
1983 70.64
1985 70.79
1963 70.79
1992 70.83
1961 70.86
1900 71.00
1986 71.18
2007 71.39
1886 71.54
1982 72.29
1968 72.31
2002 72.57
1984 72.59
1907 72.82
1924 72.83
1896 73.45
1980 73.62
1991 73.64
1981 73.89
1995 74.07
1988 74.21
2015 74.25
1977 74.32
1967 74.82
1954 75.57
2016 77.48

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Temecula just had its coldest month since that station began operating in August 1999, beating out January 2007's 49.2 F (Feb '19 was 49.0 F in Temecula). It was also the wettest February (8.69"), even beating out February 2005's 7.69" and third-wettest month in over 20 years. It's likely that February 1998 was even wetter, if the Temecula station had been operating then.

 

2018-19 at my weather station through March 1:

 

v5I0jle.png

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2016-17 dried out for March after a very wet November through February. Looks like that won't happen again, but most areas are still below their 2016-17 totals. CA drought monitor only shows abnormally dry, so we should keep the rain coming for a while, but it would be nice to have it nights and weekdays.

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Despite the near-record cold February, some trees are already starting to open up their new leaves. Must be the warmer days at the end of the month that did it.

 

Last February, the trees were still LOSING fall leaves in the middle of the month due to the insanely warm and dry winter. Then the late February cold snap finally helped to get rid of the old leaves, but the new leaves did not start until the middle of April. They were still coming in during the middle of May.

 

Amazing how a transition from warmer to cooler weather or vice versa can effect the growth of the spring leaves.

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The warm nature of this storm is helping rain totals. 0.64" and still going, even though the clouds look rather thin, as Mr Marine Layer pointed out. Even the radar returns aren't showing all that much yet it keeps coming down.

 

 

 

 

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