California Weather/ Climate

[Dan the Weatherman]

I know they're entirely normal, but these week-long (or longer!) September heatwaves always put me in a grumpy mood.  This one seems especially hard to take after all the record warm, dry weather we've already endured for most of the last couple of years.  C'mon, Weather Gods.  Just a little "troffiness" at some point soon, before we all perish of heat and drought?  Pretty please?

I am really getting tired of the heat this summer for the same reason you are. The heat, while not record breaking or abnormal, has just been so persistent basically since the beginning of July without many troughy breaks in between and it has been very muggy as well. Additionally, the winter itself was so incredibly dry and warm, followed by a downright awful May that felt more like late October or early November with strong Santa Ana winds and very hot weather as opposed to our usual dominant marine layer onshore flow pattern. We are due for some cooler weather soon, and I hope that it occurs after this heatwave. I would say that this summer has been exactly the opposite of the summer of 2010, which felt like spring for most of that summer.

[Black Hole]

I am also watching Odile as it moves north. If you guys get it I will probably also get some, just like with Norbert. Quite a bit of spread on the 12z runs earlier so we will see if any of this resolves on the 00z runs coming out. GFS looks about the same as it has all day.

[Dan the Weatherman]

Hopefully Odile can manage to bring some precip to Orange County, as Norbert mostly missed my area and I only received a trace from its remnants. Some locations nearby received more than I did, but it was hit and miss as is typical with summer rainfall.

[Guest happ]

Anyone who has lived in California for a few years should be acquainted with September heat, a month that can be the warmest of the year in coastal areas.  If October is also hot, which is often can be, then people are ready to move up north to Oregon/ Washington.  At least these late summer heat waves generally are absent wind.  I am happily surprised that the fire season hasn't been too bad this year considering the critical dryness of the entire state.

 

Dew point temps are lower but some moisture is forecast for later in the weekend before whatever is left of Odile next week.  

[Alan]

Low to Mid 70's days to mid 50's at night has been the story this week and continued forecast until Tuesday when tstorms and lower temps are shown until at least Thursday, chance anyways.

 

I'm not sure exactly what's going on or differences in the atmosphere but heat waves in June and especially July will push our temps up into the 80's while down the hill is 100+ but by August and especially September it struggles to reach 75 when temps in San Bernardino and the IE will be 105+.

 

Certainly not complaining as I quite enjoy this fact! Usually we will be having our first freeze around now and a dip or two into the 40's starting in August but we haven't seen a low below 50 since June and the average closer to 60. Days have been average to below average with 10+ days of cloudy to rainy days this summer but night time temps have been quite mild/warm.

[Guest happ]

Low to Mid 70's days to mid 50's at night has been the story this week and continued forecast until Tuesday when tstorms and lower temps are shown until at least Thursday, chance anyways.

 

I'm not sure exactly what's going on or differences in the atmosphere but heat waves in June and especially July will push our temps up into the 80's while down the hill is 100+ but by August and especially September it struggles to reach 75 when temps in San Bernardino and the IE will be 105+.

 

Certainly not complaining as I quite enjoy this fact! Usually we will be having our first freeze around now and a dip or two into the 40's starting in August but we haven't seen a low below 50 since June and the average closer to 60. Days have been average to below average with 10+ days of cloudy to rainy days this summer but night time temps have been quite mild/warm.

 

There's a formula for every 1000' in elevation equals a different climate more common to northern regions as it applies to natural vegetation; I'll see if I can find it.  I'd love to live at your elevation [over 6000'] but I suppose too many other people want the same thing, huh? 

[Alan]

There's a formula for every 1000' in elevation equals a different climate more common to northern regions as it applies to natural vegetation; I'll see if I can find it.  I'd love to live at your elevation [over 6000'] but I suppose too many other people want the same thing, huh?

 

Have you ever been to lake arrowhead or especially big bear on a holiday weekend? Labor Day, Memorial Day, thanksgiving and the dreaded first heavy snow (which never occurred last winter!) are the absolute worst in terms of number of people on the main highway that don't know how to drive here. We prepare for these weekends to either be out of town or so that we don't need to leave the house! Insane traffic - I think it was Memorial weekend 09' we had a 'surprise' 6" snow on the Friday everyone was towing their boats and campers for the first big boating / camping weekend of the year - disaster. Weekends in general during snowy periods or after heavy snows, you simply don't go anywhere. LOL

 

I was fortunate to move here from long beach 7 years ago when my company moved from Orange to rancho Cucamonga - turns out the commute is much quicker (no traffic) and actually 5 miles shorter from running springs to rancho vs. long beach to rancho. Since then I work from home now which makes it even better!

[Guest happ]

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA

648 PM PDT FRI SEP 12 2014

 

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY FOR THE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS AND THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS...

 

.A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL PRODUCE VERY HOT AND NEAR

RECORD TEMPERATURES THROUGH TUESDAY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.

MOISTURE FROM MEXICO AND OFF THE COASTAL WATERS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA WILL

STREAM INTO THE AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...WHICH MAY INCREASE HEAT

INDEX VALUES ABOVE DANGEROUS THRESHOLDS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE LOS

ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS AND SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. THERE IS A

POTENTIAL FOR SIMILAR CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY...AND THE WATCH MAY

NEED TO BE EXTENDED.

 

CAZ547-548-131000-

/O.CON.KLOX.EH.A.0001.140914T1700Z-140916T0200Z/

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY-

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WOODLAND HILLS...NORTHRIDGE...BURBANK...

UNIVERSAL CITY...PASADENA...SAN GABRIEL...POMONA

648 PM PDT FRI SEP 12 2014

 

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING

THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

 

* HEAT INDEX...HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 105 DEGREES ARE POSSIBLE

  DURING THE LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING HOURS ON SUNDAY

  AND MONDAY. OVERNIGHT MINIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL MOSTLY

  RANGE IN THE 70S. HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE THE SAME AS APPARENT

  TEMPERATURES...WHICH ARE APPROXIMATE MEASUREMENTS OF HOW HOT IT

  REALLY FEELS WHEN RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FACTORED IN WITH ACTUAL

  AIR TEMPERATURE.

 

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY MAY CREATE A

  DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE...

  ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY AND YOUTH.

 

 

 

[Guest happ]

Probably the worst heatwave of the year but the maximum today tied May readings.  The humidity makes it feel much hotter than that late Spring heatwave. 

 

102 / 72 

[richard mann]

-
I had some interesting cover pass over me here this morning "happ".
 
20140913 1900z wc-km.gif
 
With checking, it looks like it passed overhead of much of the Northern two-thirds of the state. 
 
.. And with this, and if then as with many of the storms last winter, looking like it's reached only down to Point Conception more during the day since.

http://www.atmos.washington.edu/weather/sat.shtml

[Guest happ]

Nothing but heat down here, Richard though pretty hot everywhere in the West, it seems.  Flat cumulus and generally negative heat indexes signals a little less humidity than what was forecast.  Lack of significant wind is helping keep wildfire in Silverado Canyon [Orange county] in check.

 

Odile is now a category 4 hurricane; could be the strongest cyclone to hit Baja California; hopefully remnants will make it into the Southwest like Norbert.

 

107 / 78 [hottest max & min this year]

[Dan the Weatherman]

Nothing but heat down here, Richard though pretty hot everywhere in the West, it seems.  Flat cumulus and generally negative heat indexes signals a little less humidity than what was forecast.  Lack of significant wind is helping keep wildfire in Silverado Canyon [Orange county] in check.

 

Odile is now a category 4 hurricane; could be the strongest cyclone to hit Baja California; hopefully remnants will make it into the Southwest like Norbert.

 

107 / 78 [hottest max & min this year]

As a matter of fact I haven't seen any smoke from the Silverado Canyon fire today, but I did see some yesterday earlier in the day, and saw the smoke plume on Friday. The wind has kept it away from here in Orange, and I have not smelled any smoke from the fire despite Silverado Canyon being only about 8-10 miles ESE of my location. It is really fortunate that we are not having a Santa Ana wind event right now!

 

It was hot here today with a high of 101.3 at my house, and that reading was taken on the north side of the house in total shade! It is still 87 here just before 8 p.m.

[Guest happ]

Forecasters are watching the track of Odile move more easterly across the Baja peninsula into the Gulf of California.  Looks like Arizona and other parts of the Southwest are in for some more heavy showers like Norbert produced.  Hope some of that rainfall reaches the SoCal coastline as well.

[Guest happ]

Count down to cool down that can't come too fast.  Some models are suggesting another heat wave next week!

 

104 / 77

[Dan the Weatherman]

Count down to cool down that can't come too fast.  Some models are suggesting another heat wave next week!

 

104 / 77

If we have another heatwave next week, hopefully it is the last of the late summer variety and that we get into a more fall-like weather pattern afterward. I have had enough of this summer heat!

[Dan the Weatherman]

It is a very warm night here in Orange, and it feels more humid than it did last night as tropical moisture from Odile is getting closer to the area, even though there aren't any clouds over my region as of yet.

[Alan]

Enough is enough! LOL two days in a row I hit 79 with a low of 63 - I've had freezing temps and highs in the 50's by this time of year. DP hasn't drifted very far from 50 in the past few days as well. Increased chances of tstorms today....

[Guest happ]

Warmest night of the year; probably due to light offshore winds.  Getty Center has a minimum [so far] of 86°, San Rafael Hills 84°.  Down to 80 here and in Pasadena at this hour [6:30am]. 

[Dan the Weatherman]

It was quite warm and humid last night here in Orange, but the low did manage to get down to 70.8 this morning despite the humidity, unless there was an intrusion of slightly drier air overnight in my region that I was unaware of.

[Guest happ]

Fair amount of convective activity this afternoon over coastal mountains/ nearby valleys [Rancho San Diego: 0.52].  Clouds may have helped cool afternoon temps in places though not before some records were set [downtown LA: 103°].  What is left of Odile is hitting southeastern California, southern Nevada and much of Arizona; should be some interesting data.

 

105 / 80

 

Have to look up records but must go back several years to find a 80° minimum.  Warmest readings were in foothills surrounding Los Angeles aside from usual overnight heat in low desert.

[Guest happ]

NWS_SD 940 PM PDT TUE SEP 16 2014

THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOPED ALONG INLAND 
  VALLEY CONVERGENCE BOUNDARIES THIS AFTERNOON. DOWNED TREES AND POWER 
  LINES WERE REPORTED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES INCLUDING MISSION 
  VALLEY...EL CAJON AND TIERRASANTA IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY...AND LAKE 
  ELSINORE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY. THE INVERTED-V PROFILE ON THE 00Z 
  MIRAMAR SOUNDING IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF STRONG DOWNBURST WIND 
  POTENTIAL WITH MIDLEVEL MOISTURE ABOVE DRIER AIR BELOW 6000 FEET. 
  THE HEAT OF THE DAY PROVIDED PLENTY OF FUEL AS VALLEY TEMPERATURES 
  EXCEEDED 100 DEGREES. UC RIVERSIDE HAD A HIGH OF 111...CHINO WAS 
  109...AND RIVERSIDE AIRPORT REACHED 108. 
  
  EASTERLY WINDS ALOFT WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERPOWER THE AFTERNOON 
  SEA BREEZE AND THE T-STORMS PROPAGATED WEST TOWARD THE COASTAL 
  ZONES. IN ORANGE COUNTY...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS IMPACTED THE 
  SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS...SAN CLEMENTE AND LAGUNA NIGEL. IN SAN DIEGO 
  COUNTY A LINE OF STORMS BROUGHT STRONG WINDS FROM DEL MAR TO NORTH 
  ISLAND. AT 5 PM...LINDBERGH FIELD HAD A WIND GUST OF 45 MPH...AND 
  MONTGOMERY FIELD RECORDED A WIND GUST OF 56 MPH. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS 
  REPORTED JUST NORTH OF BIG BEAR LAKE IN THE SAN BERNARDINO 
  MOUNTAINS. 
  
  HEAVY RAIN BROUGHT FLASH FLOODING TO THE INLAND EMPIRE WHERE 
  WILDOMAR RECORDED 1.89" OF RAIN. A RAINFALL SUMMARY AND A RECORD 
  TEMPERATURE REPORT IN HEADLINED ON OUR HOMEPAGE. 
 

[Dan the Weatherman]

NWS_SD 940 PM PDT TUE SEP 16 2014

THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOPED ALONG INLAND 

  VALLEY CONVERGENCE BOUNDARIES THIS AFTERNOON. DOWNED TREES AND POWER 

  LINES WERE REPORTED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES INCLUDING MISSION 

  VALLEY...EL CAJON AND TIERRASANTA IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY...AND LAKE 

  ELSINORE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY. THE INVERTED-V PROFILE ON THE 00Z 

  MIRAMAR SOUNDING IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF STRONG DOWNBURST WIND 

  POTENTIAL WITH MIDLEVEL MOISTURE ABOVE DRIER AIR BELOW 6000 FEET. 

  THE HEAT OF THE DAY PROVIDED PLENTY OF FUEL AS VALLEY TEMPERATURES 

  EXCEEDED 100 DEGREES. UC RIVERSIDE HAD A HIGH OF 111...CHINO WAS 

  109...AND RIVERSIDE AIRPORT REACHED 108. 

  

  EASTERLY WINDS ALOFT WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERPOWER THE AFTERNOON 

  SEA BREEZE AND THE T-STORMS PROPAGATED WEST TOWARD THE COASTAL 

  ZONES. IN ORANGE COUNTY...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS IMPACTED THE 

  SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS...SAN CLEMENTE AND LAGUNA NIGEL. IN SAN DIEGO 

  COUNTY A LINE OF STORMS BROUGHT STRONG WINDS FROM DEL MAR TO NORTH 

  ISLAND. AT 5 PM...LINDBERGH FIELD HAD A WIND GUST OF 45 MPH...AND 

  MONTGOMERY FIELD RECORDED A WIND GUST OF 56 MPH. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS 

  REPORTED JUST NORTH OF BIG BEAR LAKE IN THE SAN BERNARDINO 

  MOUNTAINS. 

  

  HEAVY RAIN BROUGHT FLASH FLOODING TO THE INLAND EMPIRE WHERE 

  WILDOMAR RECORDED 1.89" OF RAIN. A RAINFALL SUMMARY AND A RECORD 

  TEMPERATURE REPORT IN HEADLINED ON OUR HOMEPAGE. 

 

Yet, northern Orange County received absolutely squat except for thunderheads all around and a lot of heat.

 

That is certainly some active and unusual weather for the San Diego region. My aunt lives just up the hill from Qualcomm Stadium and when I see her this weekend, I will ask her if she got in on any of the action and I will find out whether there was any damage in her neighborhood from today's storms.

[Guest happ]

Yet, northern Orange County received absolutely squat except for thunderheads all around and a lot of heat.

 

That is certainly some active and unusual weather for the San Diego region. My aunt lives just up the hill from Qualcomm Stadium and when I see her this weekend, I will ask her if she got in on any of the action and I will find out whether there was any damage in her neighborhood from today's storms.

 

NWS_SD issued a detailed rain report last night including metro areas like Montgomery Field/ Tierrasanta where I also have family members but Lindbergh Field [airport] stayed dry.  It looked very threatening over the San Gabriel's yesterday afternoon; clouds spread out over the LA Basin but no rain here either.  Too bad the ULL coming ashore in northern California didn't arrive a few days earlier to help pull Odile moisture further west.  Tropical storm, Polo is next in line.  Ocean temps yesterday afternoon were 76 [santa Monica bay] & 78 [san Diego bay].

[Guest happ]

Today was probably the last day of the heat wave. Model Output Statistics guidance suggests 10+ degree drop tomorrow and perhaps another 10 degrees Friday.    

 

99 / 81

[Alan]

I'm forecast for a 60/51 day on Friday!

[Guest happ]

It was great to wake up to cooler temps [69.9] and probably dropped a little lower as a stronger sea breeze kicks in.  With a trough moving into California, showers are possible up north where they really need them due to serious fires. It appears Odile moved rapidly east sparing much of Arizona in comparison to what Norbert produced.  I think New Mexico and western Texas were targets for the heaviest showers. 

[Dan the Weatherman]

Last night felt really nice in comparison to the last few nights. Today was definitely cooler and tonight should be really nice with a deepening marine layer and solid onshore flow.

[Alan]

I have low clouds / dense fog forming here in the San bernardino mountains when the forecast says "clear skies" - pleasant surprise! Maybe a sign the low forming off point conception has a tad more moisture to work with? Completely clear skies all day until about 5pm and it's really thickened up since then.

[Dan the Weatherman]

I am seeing a deck of low clouds banked up against the Santa Ana Mountains with the tops below the higher peaks this evening. This is the first time I have seen low clouds around here in quite a while. It is much cooler this evening, with a temperature of 75 as of 7:10 p.m. A couple of nights ago, I had a low of 74 at the height of this heatwave! The marine layer has really moved into coastal and inland coastal San Diego County as shown by many webcams that I look at in the region.

 

I posted this on another blog a little while ago and then copied it over here.

[Guest happ]

O what a relief it is, a trough that is!

 

Still fairly humid [dewpoints well above 60 all day] but the cooler temps were quite welcome.  I like the pattern change if the models are correct about next week producing another upper low.

 

68 / 84

[Dan the Weatherman]

I also noticed that it is still on the humid side, but at least it is much cooler and don't have to run the A/C at night anymore.

 

I am hoping that the pattern change for next week produces some precip in Norcal, especially in the vicinity of the King Fire and more cool weather for our area. I would like to see some rain from a system from the north, but that would be rather unlikely this far south this early in the season. It is nice that the heatwave is off the table for next week, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does turn hot again one more time before the end of the month before a fall pattern sets in.

[Guest happ]

Steve Johnson - Fresno

The minor Low Pressure over CENCAL is providing cooling temps aloft and has also allowed a descent surge of marine air to advect into the interior of the SJV thus providing the region with temps at or near average. Fresno’s temp of 90 yesterday was exactly spot on the average temp of 90° for Sep 18^th. If today’s forecast verifies, it will be the first day since Aug 4^th that the temp has not reached 90°. There have only been 5 days in which Fresno did not reach 90° since June.

No doubt about it the summer 2014 has been a hot one and crunching the numbers proves that fact in many different ways. With 50 Days thus far reaching or exceeding 100°, the average number of 100° Days for Fresno is 36. The highest ever recorded was 63, 100° Days back in 1984. The latest 100° Day that has ever occurred in Fresno happened on Oct 14, 1978.

The Month of July 2014 also ranked as the 5^th warmest month on Record for Fresno with an 86.9°. Also noting that 2012 and 2013 also placed in the top 10 hottest months ever recorded. Therefore 3 of the 10 hottest months recorded have occurred in the past 3 years…during the drought.

It has also been a very warm year during 2014 in Fresno, with each month thus far having significant departures from the average. The 6.4° anomaly for September will undoubtedly change, but for sake of a general look at 2014 it is added to date, with the bottom line showing that 2014 has been an extraordinarily HOT year with a +4.81° anomaly.

California Regional Summer 2014 Anomalies; noting the San Joaquin region (Fresno and Bakersfield) had the highest temp anomalies of any California region. Also note the Fresno nighttime minimum anomaly with a +4° , as well as the average Summer anomaly of +3.4° are the highest in the entire State!

[Utrex]

Turns out showers/thunderstorms in the Sierras can spillover down into CenCal and NorCal foothills/valleys, according to the NAM and HRRR tonight from around 9 pm to 3 am.

[Dan the Weatherman]

Turns out showers/thunderstorms in the Sierras can spillover down into CenCal and NorCal foothills/valleys, according to the NAM and HRRR tonight from around 9 pm to 3 am.

Did you get any thunderstorm activity or any measurable rain at your location?

[Utrex]

Did you get any thunderstorm activity or any measurable rain at your location?

I did see some very impressive lightning bolts/flashes at night. We had a cell form right next to where I am giving us an amazing lightning display but as it began to pass it dissipated and produced a shower. The raindrops that came from the dissipating cell were very large.

[Dan the Weatherman]

There was definitely an early fall feeling in the air last night here in Orange and the low temperature this morning was 59, the coolest low in quite a while.

[Alan]

We've settled into a mild 60's day and low 50's at night - it's felt great! End of the week we might hit our first 30's since May.

[Guest happ]

Very nice fall temps, esp minimums; coolest night since August 5th

 

86 / 62

[Guest happ]

Warm but much drier air compared to last week.

 

92/ 64

[Alan]

And magically skips over SoCal to produce rain in Arizona.