California Weather/ Climate

[richard mann]

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We'll see happ.
 
.. 93° at 10pm in "Chico". 
 
— Maybe a few degrees cooler here more "up the hill", into the foothills, where I am.

[Guest happ]

It is interesting to assume that a month is either much warmer/ cooler than what is actually the case.  The rather long mid-month cool spell balanced out the warm/ humid weather.  Minimums were above normal due, in part, to warmer than normal ocean water temps.  No rain at my location other than a trace. 

 

July 2014

 

Aver Max: 88.7 / norm: 88

Aver Min: 67.3 / norm: 65

Mean: 78 / norm: 76

 

Highest Max: 98

Lowest Max: 77

Highest Min: 71

Lowest Min: 64

 

Rain: Trace

Rain year [jul-jun]: 0.00

[Guest happ]

Pretty much a repeat of yesterday; somewhat muggy [dewpoints around 65] with cumulus buildups over the mountains.  More of the same for the weekend w/ maybe a better chance of thunderstorms into the Los Angeles Basin by Sunday; I hope.

 

Over an inch of rain in parts of western Arizona today; not much of anything in California.

 

SO LAKE TAHOE :  87 /  51

DEATH VALLEY :  122 /  86

 

92 / 65

[Alan]

I am posting this noaa SD AFD here because what's being described simply doesn't happen often in SoCal - in fact I can't recall ever seeing a summertime setup like this - can anyone recall?

 

"THE UPPER LEVEL LOW IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE MID-POINT OF BAJA

CALIFORNIA AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWEST. DUE TO THE DYNAMICS

WITH THE LOW...AND MULTIPLE VORT MAXES AND UPWARD MOTION/OMEGA

FIELDS...THIS IS A TRICKY FORECAST AS CLOSED LOWS...ESPECIALLY THOSE

OF TROPICAL ORIGIN...ARE DIFFICULT FOR THE MODELS TO PREDICT. MOST

LIKELY...SATURDAY WILL BE A CONVECTIVE DAY WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOST

PREVALENT OVER THE MOUNTAINS DUE TO THE BEST LI VALUES...MOSTLY

BELOW -5...INCLUDING SOME SURFACE HEATING. HOWEVER...DUE TO VORT

MAXES MOVING THROUGH AND INSTABILITY ALOFT...THERE COULD BE

THUNDERSTORMS ANYWHERE INCLUDING THE COAST...ESPECIALLY IN THE

AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE OF FLASH FLOODING MAINLY IN THE

MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL LIKELY BE

ISSUED SOON FOR SATURDAY. THERE IS A SMALL RISK THAT A FEW

THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE DUE TO A DECENT AMOUNT OF

SHEAR...MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHEAST WINDS AT 500 MB UP TO

30 KNOT SATURDAY AFTERNOON...INCREASING TO 40 KNOTS SATURDAY EVENING

AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LOW...WITH THE MAIN RISK BEING HAIL.

 

PRECIP COULD BE QUITE WIDESPREAD SAT NIGHT/SUNDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERE

WILL BE NEARLY SATURATED THROUGH MOST OF THE 850-500 MB

COLUMN...POSSIBLY EVEN TO NEAR THE SURFACE. COASTAL AREAS COULD GET

SEVERAL HOURS OF RAIN...POSSIBLY STRATIFORM RAIN...DURING THIS TIME

PERIOD. PRECIP AMOUNTS ARE DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE...ESPECIALLY DUE TO

THE INFREQUENCY OF A SYSTEM LIKE THIS...BUT STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS

SATURDAY-SUNDAY WILL LIKELY BE 1-3 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND 1/4

TO 3/4 INCH IN THE VALLEYS AND DESERTS WITH MOSTLY LESS THAN 1/4

INCH NEAR THE COAST. SUNDAY PRECIP MAY END UP BEING MORE STRATIFORM

THAN CONVECTIVE WITH UPSLOPE OROGRAPHICS IN SOME MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS

DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A LARGE CLOUD SHIELD."

[Guest happ]

It is not something we experience every summer, that is for sure.  But a look at historic tropical events in the past reveals some interesting summer rainfall for California. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/document/weatherhistory.pdf

Maybe thunderstorms even on the coastal side of the mountains this weekend.  

[Alan]

Very cool, thanks for that, nice reading material!

[Guest happ]

Water vapor image over Baja

 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox/scripts/animate.php?root=sat_4km&list=WV4.GIF.3.jpg,WV4.GIF.4.jpg,WV4.GIF.5.jpg,WV4.GIF.6.jpg,WV4.GIF.7.jpg,WV4.GIF.8.jpg

[Guest happ]

4:00PM Readings  
LINDBERGH FLD  LGT RAIN  76  70  82                  
      
CHULA VISTA   76  73  88                
IMPERIAL BEACH LGT RAIN  73  70  90 

MIRAMAR   LGT RAIN  79  71  76 

  
CAMP PENDLETON LGT RAIN  79  70  74                
VISTA                 81  71  71 CALM      29.88F                 
CARLSBAD  LGT RAIN  75  70  84                  
FALLBROOK    76  74  96 CALM      29.90F                 
RANCHO PENASQUITOS   77  73  90 
SANTA ANA    81  70  70 
RIV CYN CREST   80  74  82      
TEMECULA         N/A     74  71  92 S5        29.90F                 

          
THOUSAND PALMS     83  71  67
THERMAL    LGT RAIN  85  72  65
MEXICALI    CLOUDY    84  70  61

 

[Dan the Weatherman]

It has been cloudy all day here in Orange and has looked as if it is going to rain, but so far I haven't seen a single drop. However I see a band of showers just to the ESE of my area on the radar for the first time as opposed to being further away from here, so I think it may begin to rain in the next 10 minutes or so. I have not seen any lightning as of yet, so this may be more of a stratiform band. The latest observations as of 8 p.m. that are reporting sky conditions in the direction of this band are reporting light rain, so it is reaching the surface as opposed to being virga.

 

EDIT: as of 8:20 p.m., it is beginning to sprinkle.

[Guest happ]

Pretty much the same story up here along w/ gusty SSE winds, low ceilings and a trace.  Generally under a 0.10 coastal San Diego county/ under 0.50 coastal mts [ANZA :  0.47].  Rain totals are not that impressive in Phoenix  [DEER VALLEY   0.39 ].  Generated by an inverted trough/ tropical wave out of the Gulf of California.  
 

SOU LAKE TAHOE :  87 /  45

DEATH VALLEY  :  114 /  89

 

Today really felt like Florida

 

90 / 67 T

[Dan the Weatherman]

The rain has once again picked up here in Orange during the last few minutes and it is the heaviest that I have seen so far tonight. It has mostly been alternating between sprinkles and light rain ever since it started earlier this evening. I haven't seen any lightning as of yet, and I have been keeping my eye on the sky tonight to see if any develops. It is definitely warm and muggy tonight with the tropical air mass in place.

[Utrex]

Rare thunderstorm event possible here in Sacramento Monday-Tuesday. Pretty rare for an event, but after all this Summer has been wetter than usual... I wonder why *eh ehm El Nino*.

[Guest happ]

The rain has once again picked up here in Orange during the last few minutes and it is the heaviest that I have seen so far tonight. It has mostly been alternating between sprinkles and light rain ever since it started earlier this evening. I haven't seen any lightning as of yet, and I have been keeping my eye on the sky tonight to see if any develops. It is definitely warm and muggy tonight with the tropical air mass in place.

 

I'm downwind north-northwest of Orange;  the precipitation you reported seemed to reach here about 30 minutes later.  All light showers; no convection.  NWS indicated parts of San Gabriel Mts reaching 0.50 but under 010 for most lowland areas.  Dew points around 70 make it very muggy.  Any clearing today could lead to thunderstorms and miserable heat.

 

R: 0.07

Lo: 76  

[Dan the Weatherman]

It was basically all stratiform in nature, as opposed to convective, probably because of the thick cloud layer. 

 

It has been very humid here in Socal since yesterday. Dew points are in the upper 60's to low 70's as of noon today (Sunday, August 3) in much of coastal Orange and San Diego Counties. Here are a few examples of current temperatures (T) and dew points (D) for selected cities in the region as of noon: Santa Ana: T 83 D 73, Fullerton T 84 D 69 Laguna Beach T 76 D 71 San Diego Limbergh T 74 D 67 Temecula T 78 D 72 and Huntington Beach T 76 D 71.

To put this into perspective, Miami, FL (as of 3 p.m. EDT) has a temperature of 83 and a dew point of 76. We are almost as humid as south Florida in some areas today!

[Guest happ]

Fair amount of lingering stratoform rain west of LA and dying convection eastward.  Same as yesterday w/ coastal & valley stations under 0.10 except Inland Empire up to .50 and mt/ desert approaching an inch. 

 

SO LAKE TAHOE :  81 /  52 /

DEATH VALLEY :   90 /  82 / T [has to be several months since max was this cool thanks to the monsoon] 

 

90 / 76

Month/ Year: 0.06

[Alan]

NWS San Diego mentioned gages in and around mount badly collected 3" - 5" in a 2hr period this afternoon.

 

Yucaipa Ridge in San Bernardino mnts 2.59"

 

My location in Running Springs .25" yesterday and oddly enough .25" today. Yesterday was over a 3 hr period while today it all fell in a quick burst this evening.

[Alan]

830p update:

 

1. MT BALDY VILLAGE 3.89

2. YUCAIPA RIDGE 3.63 2ESE FOREST FALLS

3. BOUCHER HILL 3.26

4. CREST PARK 2.72 6WSW LAKE ARROWHEAD

5. MILL CREEK EAST 2.58

6. RIMFOREST 2.35

7. RECHE CANYON 1.85 2W LOMA LINDA

8. SMALL CANYON DAM 1.74 2N HIGHLAND

9. SD COUNTRY ESTATES 1.65 5SE RAMONA

10.LAKE ARROWHEAD NW 1.59

[Dan the Weatherman]

830p update:

 

1. MT BALDY VILLAGE 3.89

2. YUCAIPA RIDGE 3.63 2ESE FOREST FALLS

3. BOUCHER HILL 3.26

4. CREST PARK 2.72 6WSW LAKE ARROWHEAD

5. MILL CREEK EAST 2.58

6. RIMFOREST 2.35

7. RECHE CANYON 1.85 2W LOMA LINDA

8. SMALL CANYON DAM 1.74 2N HIGHLAND

9. SD COUNTRY ESTATES 1.65 5SE RAMONA

10.LAKE ARROWHEAD NW 1.59

Those are quite spectacular rainfall totals, especially for Reche Canyon, which is next to Loma Linda and the southern city limit of San Bernardino, and for San Diego Country Estates, which is just south of Ramona and a few miles E or SE of Poway which do not receive as much monsoonal activity as the mountain areas.

[Dan the Weatherman]

I picked up .03" from the rain yesterday, and only had a few sprinkles this evening. I did not see one flash of lightning from here in Orange with this event, as it appeared to be more stratiform in nature, even though convective activity occurred over the mountains with more lift. I really thought I was going to see some lightning this evening as there were some cells to the east and southeast of the area, but they just didn't produce any lightning.

[richard mann]

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.. Definitely cooler here more north where I am, today. 
 
http://theweatherforums.com/index.php?/topic/602-pacific-nw-august-2014-discussion/?p=30795

[Guest happ]

The very humid air mass is moving eastward today; no cumulus build-ups and dew point slowly dropping below 70 and even below 60 signal a drier south-west flow.  24-hour rain totals at selective stations: San Bernardino: 0.99, Lake Arrowhead: 1.20, Grapevine: .0.60.  Troughs create some of the nicest weather during summer months; that change is in effect this week. 

 

SO LAKE TAHOE :  63 /  57 / 0.35

DEATH VALLEY :  103 /  73 /  0.02

 

90 / 70

[richard mann]

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Getting a tiny bit of rain here where I am this early AM. Started just before midnight .. maybe nearer to 11:30pm.
 
140805 09z wc 4km-ir

... follow the main California "diagonal" border-line, to just below that for 40°N.  @
 
— "Fun", where looked at as a signature to the "cool" following the "heat".

140804 22z wc 4km-ir   @

[richard mann]

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.. Still raining here. Very lite, but very persistent. Since having started near midnight last night, overnight through to this point apart from a short break from mid-morning to noon or so.

[Guest happ]

It is cool how the tropical wave moved up through California from last weekend and may spin down into SoCal again tomorrow. 

 

Richard you were in the right area  [PARADISE:  0.54]. 

 

SO LAKE TAHOE :  64 /  55 /  0.02

DEATH VALLEY : 111 /  77

 

88 / 61

[Dan the Weatherman]

It was cooler and much less humid here in Socal today than it has been in a while and last night was very comfortable compared to the last several nights. Even though I like exciting weather in the summer like we just went through, it is nice for a change to less humid weather for a few days. I am looking forward to more possible monsoonal activity this weekend and into next week, though.

[richard mann]

.... in the right area  [PARADISE:  0.54]. 

 

Raining, if still fairly lightly, still. ..... Hopefully an harbinger of an earlier Fall. 

 

— Or more specifically, some nice good and early fall precip..

[Guest happ]

It was cooler and much less humid here in Socal today than it has been in a while and last night was very comfortable compared to the last several nights. Even though I like exciting weather in the summer like we just went through, it is nice for a change to less humid weather for a few days. I am looking forward to more possible monsoonal activity this weekend and into next week, though.

 

NWS_LA

.LONG TERM (SUN-TUE)...

  ALL MDLS HAVE NOW FLIPPED FLOPPED FROM THE EARLIER HOT TEMPS AND 

  MONSOON FLOW FCST EARLIER AND NOW ALL AGREE THAT A LARGE CUT OFF LOW 

  WILL SLOWLY APPROACH AND THEN MOVE THROUGH THE STATE. NO MOISTURE IS 

  EVIDENT WITH THIS LOW SO PRECIPITATION CHANCES SEEM NEGLIGIBLE. WHAT 

  THIS UPPER LOW WILL DO IS KEEP THE MARINE LAYER DEEP INTO THE VLY 

  THROUGH THE PERIOD. MAX TEMPS WILL ALSO CONTINUE BLO NORMAL. KIND OF 

  HARD TO TELL THIS FORECAST FROM A JUNE ONE ACTUALLY.

 

[Guest happ]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE :  76 /  49 /   T

DEATH VALLEY :  114 /  83

 

82 / 63

[Guest happ]

"Baggy troughing" is how the NWS describe current and extended forecasts which makes for the most comfortable but most boring weather for SoCal.  Wish we could get in on all that tropical moisture hitting Hawaii tonight.  

 

 

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AP  [6314'] :     80 /  46

DEATH VALLEY  [-194'] :  115 /  80

 

83 / 63

[Guest happ]

Some tidal flooding this weekend but not from hurricanes.  All the energy is going away from California due west & Hawaian.

 

SOUTH LK TAHOE CA :  83 /  48

DEATH VALLEY   115 /  83

 

86 / 65

[richard mann]

"Baggy troughing" is how the NWS describe current and extended forecasts .....

 

Right now main colder air mass is moving more assertively east, while at the same time retracting (regressing.) daily more northward. - http://theweatherforums.com/index.php?/topic/605-mid-summer-2014-colder-air-mass-movement-and-distribution-projections/?p=30825

 

More near-term and for the next two days, even though retracting daily more northward more over-all, with its movement more eastward, per my view, there's the potential for some amount of colder air's being caused to be stirred south where meeting the greater Coast, lending to some degree of troughing. This with also as I see things playing out, then on the 11th, when colder air—if still retracting more northward more generally—begins to slow its more eastward pace steadily and progressively more daily, this slowing lending to an increasingly more meridional patterning, and so the potential for more significant troughing.

 

http://weather.unisys.com/upper_air/ua_hem.php?plot=n8&inv=0&t=cur

 

Does this line up with what you'd seen forecasted more specifically "happ". ? 

[Guest happ]

Highest dewpoints in California are west of the coastal/ transverse ranges

1PM

SAN RAFAEL HILLS  89  70  53 E5   HX  94   [nearby]   

 

Richard, it seems long range forecasts differ by the hour.  Troughs keeps us cool; ridges come with convection.  It makes it muggy; people at work complain endlessly

[Guest happ]

SOUTH LK TAHOE CA :  85 /  42

DEATH VALLEY :  116 /  86

 

89 / 67

[Guest happ]

Noon

IMPERIAL  86  73  65  HX  93    

MEXICALI   88  77  70  HX 100           

[Dan the Weatherman]

Noon

IMPERIAL  86  73  65  HX  93    

MEXICALI   88  77  70  HX 100           

Those are pretty high dew points for those desert locales, but the latest NWS roundup as of noon showed Imperial Airport with a temperature of 97 and a DP of only 62. That is still humid for the desert and maybe there will be some thunderstorm activity later on. I do wonder which observation for Imperial is more accurate, though.

[Guest happ]

SOUTH LK TAHOE CA :  81 /  49 / 0.06

DEATH VALLEY : 118 /  85

 

92 / 67

[Guest happ]

More lightning strikes over the same territory from last week's storms; little rain but beautiful cloud formations.  Northern California/ Sierra Nevada is close to most of the action tonight.  Phoenix has flash flood alerts.

 

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AP [6314']  79 /  44 / 0.24

DEATH VALLEY  [-194']  102 /  88 /  0.11

 

90 / 67 [today readings are norms for mid August]

[Guest happ]

Curious how much the water rates have gone up in California, and if there are any weird or odd drought impacts starting to manifest.

 

Last Spring Governor Brown asked for voluntary cutbacks by 20% instead California increases water usage.  There are water cops looking for run offs or violators and some areas can only water lawns on certain days of the week.

 

Monsoon Report has shown dismal rainfall thus far:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/pns/2014/August/monsoonhalftime2014.php

[Dan the Weatherman]

Some areas have received significant rains, while others have received little. This is not out of the ordinary considering the isolated to scattered nature of convective activity (thunderstorms). It does look as if the CA deserts have been on the dry side, though, and I hope to see more action in those areas as well as here locally before the monsoon season comes to an end.

[Guest happ]

Some nice cumulus build-ups/ cell activity east of Los Angeles w/ flash flood warning for San Bernardino mountains/ lower desert.  Probably the last of the monsoon influence for a while.