2020 - 2021 California and Southwest Weather Discussion Thread

[Anti Marine Layer]

Humidity is up some today, as weak onshore flow has returned. Feels more like August than April.

[Anti Marine Layer]

A mockingbird is singing outside my window. Must be looking for a mate.

[Reg]

I smelled smoke in the air yesterday evening, but I don't smell it anymore.

[Jesse]

I smelled smoke in the air yesterday evening, but I don't smell it anymore.

 

Mr. Marine layer BBQ'd some roast mockingbird last night.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Beaches were packed yesterday where they were open.

[Anti Marine Layer]

A bit more breezy this afternoon, but still pretty hot.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Saw a family with 2 kids in bathing suits this morning getting into the car. Most likely headed to the beach to risk getting COVID-19.

[Reg]

Beautiful day today. I was surprised to see San Gorgonio Mountain still capped with a decent amount of snow.

[Omegaraptor]

Las Vegas has 102°F forecast Wednesday. The all-time April record is 99.

[Jesse]

Las Vegas has 102°F forecast Wednesday. The all-time April record is 99.

 

Finally some good news down there!

[Dan the Weatherman]

Finally some good news down there!

 

After the good rains we got back in March to mid-April, it seemed the weather switched to something more reminiscent of July here in coastal and inland coastal Socal over the last several days. It is much cooler today than it has been recently, but I am not ready for all this heat just yet. I'm simply hoping for a more typical spring pattern before the summer heat sets in when it should, which is the end of June or early July.

[Reg]

After the good rains we got back in March to mid-April, it seemed the weather switched to something more reminiscent of July here in coastal and inland coastal Socal over the last several days. It is much cooler today than it has been recently, but I am not ready for all this heat just yet. I'm simply hoping for a more typical spring pattern before the summer heat sets in when it should, which is the end of June or early July.

 

I'm hoping this warmer than average weather doesn't persist all the way into late June either, and I don't think it will (looks like it did in 1992 and 1997). This late April temperature spike is similar to one we had at the same time in 2004.

 

It warmed up again today with a high of 94F at my house, compared to yesterday's 87F.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Almost May, but not much May Gray to start off the month, except maybe near the beaches.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Low clouds have made it further inland this morning.

[Reg]

Low clouds have made it further inland this morning.

 

Can confirm, we had dense fog in Murrieta this morning.

[Anti Marine Layer]

High clouds clouding up the satellite image this morning, but looks like San Diego County is not clearing to the beaches.

[Anti Marine Layer]

If beaches remain overcast this weekend, it could mean less people crowding the beach. Newport Beach looks to remain open, but they will try to enforce social distancing more rigorously.

[Anti Marine Layer]

We've had a sudden cloud intrusion of both low clouds and high clouds.

[Reg]

With continued, varying stages of heat and high pressure plus no rain in sight, there's a decent chance that we may have no additional precipitation through June 30th. It was a strange, uneven rainy season, but we in Southern California mostly fared slightly above average for the season. Northern California was much less fortunate. I'm admittedly disappointed over just how close my season total for 2019-20 is to 2018-19, I only need 0.10" more to surpass last year's total.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Lots of thick high clouds this morning in addition to all of the low clouds. However, looks like high clouds should move out soon.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sun is coming out. Tomorrow would be the first official May Gray morning, but temperatures still look to remain above average.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Clouds have pushed back inland again. They are playing tricks on us this morning.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Marine layer kind of behaving like the COVID-19 case counts today, moving back and forth.

[Reg]

I keep receiving ghost phone calls from Lake Forest over the past 24 hours. Is that you Mr Marine Layer? 

[Anti Marine Layer]

I keep receiving ghost phone calls from Lake Forest over the past 24 hours. Is that you Mr Marine Layer? 

Nope

[Jesse]

I keep receiving ghost phone calls from Lake Forest over the past 24 hours. Is that you Mr Marine Layer?

Was there heavy breathing followed by “I will end you for liking the clouds”? I’ve been getting the same call.

[Thunder98]

I'm so tired of these winds.

[Anti Marine Layer]

I'm so tired of these winds.

It is the spring sea breeze.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Low clouds retreated to the beaches late today. However, they are not pushing back inland as early as yesterday.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Overnight lows are unusually warm for this time of year.

[Reg]

Overnight lows are unusually warm for this time of year.

 

Agreed, in the low 60s here. That's more typical of July-August, than late April/early May. Just two weeks ago, our lows were in the 40s.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Looking very May-like this morning as we begin the month of May.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Strange clearing pattern this morning.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Low clouds are quite random and patchy this morning.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sea surface temperatures are above normal off the Southern California coast.

[Reg]

Sea surface temperatures are above normal off the Southern California coast.

I suspected as much, given our abnormally warm nights over the last several weeks.

[Reg]

The latest ONI index is in, now 2019-2020 technically counts as a very weak El Nino. But only just barely.

 

[Thunder98]

The latest ONI index is in, now 2019-2020 technically counts as a very weak El Nino. But only just barely.

 

Annotation 2020-05-04 140421.png

 

We also haven't had a strong la nina in 9 years.

 

[Thunder98]

The high temperature today was a toasty 89F with consistent strong offshore winds. The temps pattern was schizophrenic with temps near 90F during the 12PM hour, fell down to the 75F at around 1:30PM, climbed back up to 88F at 2:15PM and gradually cooling down after that. Also today was the hottest May high temp since May 15th, 2014 where it went up to 105F.

[Reg]

99F here today.