California Weather/ Climate

[Guest happ]

Finally got around to checking my weather station against a known-good bulb thermometer, and found that it was indeed reading slightly low, about -1.0 degree.

 

For some reason, although the elevations are similar, my readings are often significantly cooler than at the San Rafael Hills station (where the reported temperature often seems too high to me), but are usually congruent with unofficial stations on Weather Underground nearer my particular location.

 

Corrected numbers for May:  Av Hi 69.5 / Av Low 52.1 / Total Precip 1.03 in.

 

The average temperature for May was around the same as for February.  Coolest and wettest May since 2003.

 

BUR scored its first cooler than normal month in over two years!

 

Micro climates of Los Angeles are some of the most diverse in the world considering temperature.  Minimum readings, especially can be quite diverse over relatively short distances .  My location is above a fairly steep canyon where frost occurs many winters and hilltops that have yet to record below 32°

 

Maximum temps tend to warm the further inland from from the ocean and are more uniform across basin, valleys, foothills/ mts. 

 

 

May 2015

 

Aver Max: 73.1 [Norm: 77

Aver Min: 57.7 [Norm: 57

Aver Mean: 65.4

 

Hi Max: 90

Lo Max: 63

Hi Min: 68

Lo Min: 50

 

Rain: 0.92

Year [jul-jun]: 9.42

Days: 3

 

Spring was reverse this year; heat in March, rain in May!

[richard mann]

-
The last of the cooler air having been moving more southward to the nearer West. Looks as if. 
 
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/weather/sat.shtml  
 
Muggy higher cover is all it could bring us here where I am today, and into the evening. Temps into the higher 70s. The low connected to the system at all, appears to be headed to near to right over me.

[Guest happ]

-

The last of the cooler air having been moving more southward to the nearer West. Looks as if. 

 

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

 

Muggy higher cover is all it could bring us here where I am today, and into the evening. Temps into the higher 70s. The low connected to the system at all, appears to be headed to near to right over me.

 

Just passed LA this morning; maybe rain tonight.

 

 

UPDATE...A WEAK COLD FRONT BOUNDARY HAS 

  MOVED EAST OF LA COUNTY THIS MORNING WITH ONLY A DEEP MARINE LAYER 

  VISIBLE ON SAT IMAGERY.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?prod=XXXAFDLOX&wfo=LOX

[richard mann]

-
Well this today appears to have been the best case scenario's having played out.
 
Check back the main "hours" "Loop Length" here to the fuller 24 possible.
 
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/weather/sat.shtml 
 
.. Thunder, showers. As in if with plenty of thunder—with lighting, .. with enough actual moisture in the form of precip. to have dampened the potential for lightning sparked fire. 
 
— Essentially a more "wrap-around" system type of main cloud formation. Main moisture generation east of the Sierras, having been directed West, or more Northwest, back over the Sierras. The main precip. having been limited to the mountains and foothils.

 

"Something" for much of the Sierras. A good soaking here. Maybe 2 tenths of an inch. Over a period of about 45 mins, from about 3pm forward. 

[Guest happ]

-

Well this today appears to have been the best case scenario's having played out.

 

Check back the main "hours" "Loop Length" here to the fuller 24 possible.

 

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

 

.. Thunder, showers. As in if with plenty of thunder—with lighting, .. with enough actual moisture in the form of precip. to have dampened the potential for lightning sparked fire. 

 

— Essentially a more "wrap-around" system type of main cloud formation. Main moisture generation east of the Sierras, having been directed West, or more Northwest, back over the Sierras. The main precip. having been limited to the mountains and foothils.

 

"Something" for much of the Sierras. A good soaking here. Maybe 2 tenths of an inch. Over a period of about 45 mins, from about 3pm forward. 

 

I love this pattern of low pressure systems circulating over the Southwest and drawing up tropical moisture a month early.  Looks like Phoenix gets in on the remnant rainfall from "Andres". 

 

68 / 61

[Dan the Weatherman]

It was quite cool here in Orange today with highs only in the low 70's or so. Tonight is quite cool as well, as I had to wear a sweatshirt on my evening walk.

[ClaireAnderson]

Well in San Francisco, it's 53F with 91% humidity and 3mph of winds.

[Alan]

All hopes of precip in the SoCal mountains is gone for today/tonight.  Maybe next Wednesday/Thursday we'll get a shot at some convection spawned by remnants of Blanca...

 

Nice cool June day yesterday with a High of 55, Low this morning 42....cooler than many J/F/M/A mornings this year! LOL

[Alan]

An article in today's L.A. Times noted that this was the first “reverse spring” (i.e., when May is cooler than March) in SoCal since 1921.

 

I’d link the article, except it really didn’t have anything more substantive to say than the above summary.

 

Similar situation in SF and I'm sure many spots all along CA.  Pretty amazing, and I am beyond thankful, if we had hot and dry weather continue through April/May/June the summer & fall would be that much more unnerving due to wildfire concerns - it's a small consolation but it's there nonetheless! 

 

"In a rather incredible climatological inversion, San Francisco recorded a May that was cooler than the months of January, February, March, AND April for the first time in recorded history."

 

http://www.weatherwest.com

 

Fog (deep marine layer) rolled in and it's now mid/upper 40's - quite rare as we head into June!

[Dan the Weatherman]

How did the rest of that year turn out?

 

1921-22 was a pretty wet winter for Socal, as I believe Los Angeles received about 20" or 21" of rainfall.

[Guest happ]

Similar situation in SF and I'm sure many spots all along CA.  Pretty amazing, and I am beyond thankful, if we had hot and dry weather continue through April/May/June the summer & fall would be that much more unnerving due to wildfire concerns - it's a small consolation but it's there nonetheless! 

 

"In a rather incredible climatological inversion, San Francisco recorded a May that was cooler than the months of January, February, March, AND April for the first time in recorded history."

 

http://www.weatherwest.com

 

Fog (deep marine layer) rolled in and it's now mid/upper 40's - quite rare as we head into June!

 

Thanks for the weatherwest link.  Local TV refer to our "San Francisco summer".  We live in normally a very benign climate, especially in the lowlands; the average mean temperature spread between November to May is under 10 degrees.  June normally is the first month of 80+ days that will last until nearly Thanksgiving. It is great to have a cool start to summer.

 

74 / 60    

[richard mann]

 

.. A bit more of what we saw yesterday later afternoon: .. starting a bit later, stalling for an hour or so and then coming on again this earlier evening.

 

— More thunder, if less substantial. With plenty of lighting, throughout. Rainbows preceding the precip.. Fairly substantial. Storm approaching from the east, and moving to more overhead. Probably another 2 tenths of an inch. Another short-lived but soaking rain. From maybe a bit before 8pm, to after 8:30.

 

.. Some salvation / steering for the animals. 

[Alan]

Heard some areas around the Kings fire had up to 2"+ yesterday.

 

I had a fair weather cumulus track directly overhead east to west above the marine layer drifting in. LoL

[Guest happ]

Dewpoints a little high today considering the warmer temps; maybe rain from 'Blanca' this week.

 

87 / 59

[richard mann]

-
".. Moisture from Hurricane Blanca will move north and interact with a low pressure system late Tuesday through Wednesday. Numerous showers are likely in the mountains with thunderstorm potential capable of producing intense rainfall and localized flooding. There will also be a chance of valley showers and thunderstorms."
 
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=sto

".. Tropical moisture (the remnants of Blanca) will be channeled northward into California Tuesday afternoon and night, between an area of Low pressure offshore and one of High pressure centered over the Great Basin."

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=hnx

[richard mann]

.. Sunny, clear, and sitting at 95° currently at half past noon here in Paradise, CA. 
 
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sfc con.php?image=na&inv=0&t=cur

— Our first 90-plus day here this season. June 8th. Not too bad.

[Alan]

76F here currently making this the new hottest day of the year - bring on Blanca!  

[richard mann]

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

[Guest happ]

Surprised by the heat today.

 

95 / 60

[richard mann]

-
From the Sacramento NWS WFO, posted at 6pm yesterday early evening.
 
".. High pressure brought widespread 100+ degree heat across the Valley today. Cooler weather is on the way Tuesday and Wednesday though, with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing once again along the mountains Tuesday afternoon, becoming widespread into the Valley overnight and continuing into Wednesday. Remnants of Tropical Storm Blanca will combine with a Pacific low pressure system to bring this change in the weather. Frequent lightning, locally heavy rainfall and small hail will be the primary concerns."
 
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=sto

150608 wx story sto.png

[Guest happ]

".DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
  SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
  COUNTIES...
  
  AT 9 AM PDT...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DISPLAYED AN UPPER-
  LEVEL LOW CENTERED AROUND 350 MILES SW OF POINT CONCEPTION AND AN
  UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER CENTRAL NORTHERN MEXICO. VISIBLE SATELLITE
  IMAGERY SHOWED WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER OVER SOUTHERN CA AS
  MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE BLANCA MOVES INTO
  THE REGION. COMPOSITE RADAR SHOWED VERY LIGHT SHOWERS OVER THE
  CWA...WITH A FEW HEAVIER SHOWERS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. THE
  09/1200 UTC KNKX SOUNDING CALCULATED A JUNE RECORD-BREAKING
  PRECIPITABLE WATER OF 1.75 INCHES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR JUNE
  WAS 1.57 INCHES ON JUNE 10...1990 FROM AN INFLUX OF MOISTURE FROM
  TROPICAL CYCLONE BORIS."

 

Scattered light showers on the way to work this morning; looks like most rainfall/ thunderstorms are offshore of Pt. Concepcion.

 

L: 69  

 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=lox&afos=AFDHNX

THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT OUR CURRENT PATTERN IS THAT THE UPPER
  LEVEL REMNANTS OF ANDRES IS SPINNING OFF THE COAST AND IS
  INTERACTING WITH THE MID AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
  REMNANTS OF BLANCA.
 

[Alan]

.05" no Tstorms yet....

[richard mann]

Today's Blanca moisture update from the Sacramento NWS - WFO, put out early this morning. 
 
" .. [WV parameter] Satellite imagery showing the interaction of a low pressure system offshore with tropical moisture from Blanca. This interaction (in the yellow circle) is resulting in showers and thunderstorms. As the Low moves into CA, showers and thunderstorms will spread into NorCal this afternoon through most of Wednesday. Mountains will get the most rain peaking between 0.5” to over an inch. Valley locations should be less than a tenth of an inch except more where thunderstorms develop."
 
150609 wx story sto.png

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=sto

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/loop.goes-west   (Water Vapor loop. updating.)
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/weather/sat.shtml

[Guest happ]

Very muggy day [dewpoints well into the 60's], light scattered showers [mostly in coastal LA, Ventura & Santa Barbara counties] & windy.   

 

88 / 69

0.01

[Dan the Weatherman]

Today was back to a more normal June pattern with the marine layer, except with a bit more humidity, after the tropical air mass we had yesterday.

[Guest happ]

Today was back to a more normal June pattern with the marine layer, except with a bit more humidity, after the tropical air mass we had yesterday.

 

Dewpoint temps were still very high [mid/upper 60's] but stratus lid kept max temps below 80.  All that moisture dropped a fair amount of showers in Central California.  Another tropical system is gathering strength south of Baja. 

 

77 / 65

[Dan the Weatherman]

Dewpoint temps were still very high [mid/upper 60's] but stratus lid kept max temps below 80.  All that moisture dropped a fair amount of showers in Central California.  Another tropical system is gathering strength south of Baja. 

 

77 / 65

After I posted that comment above, I realized that there was quite a bit of activity in Central CA. It would be nice to see more events just like we experienced later this summer.

[richard mann]

.. It's got about 5 days of movement potential generally more northward per my figuring. 
 
— A more general result of colder air's general regress north, through the 16th. @

[Guest happ]

The atmosphere is so moist that stratus produced measureable rainfall this morning.  Troughs provide perfect conditions of cloudiness and relatively cool temps.  Add a little tropical air and it can't get better in my opinion.

 

78 / 63

0.02

Month: 0.03

Year [jul-jun]: 9.45 

[Guest happ]

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=lox

 

How often does NWS issue a Flash Flood Watch in June?

[richard mann]

Weren't some of the "Las Vegas" flood events of the past around this time. ?
 
— "Seems" like.
 
104° here currently btw. .. Our first 100°-plus day

http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sfc con.php?image=na&inv=0&t=cur

[Alan]

Picked up .30" this afternoon with lots of lightning - definitely a worthy day for June!  Colder now than it was early morning, started out 'hot' and muggy like a clammy August day!

[richard mann]

108° at 5pm.
 
— Definitely a downslop wind from the north component working. .. Higher pressure air movement more, from the north, higher dessert .. or near to, elevations in Oregon, south through more extreme Northern California, passed "Redding" (often cited) at the head of the greater Valley north, and then into the rest of the valley southward.  

 

(Right down Hwy 97 to "Weed", then south on "Interstate 5".) 

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

[Dan the Weatherman]

The atmosphere is so moist that stratus produced measureable rainfall this morning.  Troughs provide perfect conditions of cloudiness and relatively cool temps.  Add a little tropical air and it can't get better in my opinion.

 

78 / 63

0.02

Month: 0.03

Year [jul-jun]: 9.45

 

I picked up a surprise .03" here in Orange early yesterday morning.

[Guest happ]

108° at 5pm.

 

— Definitely a downslop wind from the north component working. .. Higher pressure air movement more, from the north, higher dessert .. or near to, elevations in Oregon, south through more extreme Northern California, passed "Redding" (often cited) at the head of the greater Valley north, and then into the rest of the valley southward.  

 

(Right down Hwy 97 to "Weed", then south on "Interstate 5".) 

 

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

 

It's been the total opposite down here; at least on the coastal side of transverse range.  Higher elevation thunderstorms yesterday:

 

ISABELLA DAM  ele 2680 :  94 /  66 / 0.22

TEHACHAPI 4001 : 86 / 57 / 0.14 /

BIG BEAR LAKE     6768 :   74 /  50 /  0.84

LOCKWOOD VLY  4839    : 80 /  52 /  0.45

 

June Gloom is holding off the heat nicely but next week may be reality/ solstice time.  Inner coastal/ beach water temps mostly mid/upper 60's but warmer further out.  Fishermen catching lots of yellowtail tuna.    

[richard mann]

It's been the total opposite down here; at least on the coastal side of transverse range.  Higher elevation thunderstorms yesterday:

 

ISABELLA DAM  ele 2680 :  94 /  66 / 0.22

TEHACHAPI 4001 : 86 / 57 / 0.14 /

BIG BEAR LAKE     6768 :   74 /  50 /  0.84

LOCKWOOD VLY  4839    : 80 /  52 /  0.45

 

June Gloom is holding off the heat nicely but next week may be reality/ solstice time.  Inner coastal/ beach water temps mostly mid/upper 60's but warmer further out.  Fishermen catching lots of yellowtail tuna.

 

Sounds like colder water just offshore more in general ... being responsible for what you've pointed to more over-all. @ 8d .. With otherwise the main moisture having been generated more strongly south having moved more northward just to your east and more eastward. @ @

 

And then with this, broader picture (north / south thru the West and then more outward.), ... Still plenty of cold out there, more West-ward, it looks as if. .. The stronger heat that we've been seeing here more northward, inland and within California, both having been, and still being to a significant extent, the result of the higher pressure having been able to build more immediately over the past few days, moving eastward slowly by degrees, and working to steer warmer air more southward, even slightly more SSW, into more northern Northern California, while colder air from the north—able to have moved more southward if moving mainly more strongly east—has worked to "box in" that higher pressure more south, limiting its main effects to south of the Oregon / California border.

 

— Apart from apparently, where you are and what you've suggested, with looking at the cooler influence that I have more initially here above.

[Guest happ]

It wasn't particularly warm today but dew points are still somewhat elevated. 

 

84/ 63

[Guest happ]

Not much to look forward to as 594 DM ridge moves closer. 

 

6/15/15

DEATH VALLEY -194   120 / 86

 

L: 62

[Dan the Weatherman]

Not much to look forward to as 594 DM ridge moves closer. 

 

6/15/15

DEATH VALLEY -194   120 / 86

 

L: 62

 

It certainly looks as if this is the start of summer here in Socal and I am NOT ready for this level of heat on a consistent basis as of yet. Mid June is a bit early for it to get into the upper 80's to low 90's in inland Orange County, but those levels of temperatures usually begin to occur around or just after the Fourth of July.

 

Whether this turns out to be a long, hot summer remains to be seen. However, years in which there is a developing El Nino during the summer are usually rather warm and humid, such as 1994 and 1997.

[Guest happ]

It certainly looks as if this is the start of summer here in Socal and I am NOT ready for this level of heat on a consistent basis as of yet. Mid June is a bit early for it to get into the upper 80's to low 90's in inland Orange County, but those levels of temperatures usually begin to occur around or just after the Fourth of July.

 

Whether this turns out to be a long, hot summer remains to be seen. However, years in which there is a developing El Nino during the summer are usually rather warm and humid, such as 1994 and 1997.

 

Agree that July 1st is the start of summer west of mountains but June heat can be the highest of summer inland/ desert regions.  Deadly indexes in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

 

Like the possible positioning of 4-Corners high pressure.  If it has to be hot at least higher terrain convection is nearby.

 

85 / 62 [inversion still fairly high today]