2020 - 2021 California and Southwest Weather Discussion Thread

[Pn1ct0g3n]

1 hour ago, Thunder98 said:

Phoenix’s high today is only 81F!

Wow! That’s some serious monsoon cooling. Here, the onshore flow is noticeably stronger and this evening almost calls for a hoodie — a feeling I haven’t had in weeks. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Warm and humid today.

[Reg]

Just rained here after looking gloomy all day, 0.07". Still sprinkling now.

[Reg]

Doppler radar showing the rain that just hit me is heading towards the coast, Orange County in particular.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

*crosses fingers for some sky-water*

[Reg]

After a few hours of quiet, rain has restarted here. Radar indicating more of it on the way.

[Reg]

0.05" here in the last 30 minutes. 

[Reg]

Flash Flood Watch in effect here. Rain is a bit heavier now with 0.15" and rising.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Starting to sprinkle here.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Now it's raining. 

[Reg]

Rain has stopped here, leaving me with 0.24". Pretty good for a month in which we usually don't get any rain at all.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Phoenix forecast discussion

An incredibly anomalous and complicated flow pattern continues over 
the SW Conus with the original closed negative PV anomaly sheared 
westward over SE California and absorbed into secondary shortwave 
descending from southern NV. This evolution is occurring south of a 
subtropical ridge which has quickly migrated from western NV into 
northeast UT over the past 12-24 hours. Further complicating matters, 
another well defined easterly wave was surging NW from western 
Sonora which will act to enhance lift across much of southern CA the 
remainder of today. As has been common the past several days, 
pockets of ascent will be coincident with an unusually moist 
environment characterized by boundary layer mixing ratios 12-14 g/kg 
and PWats in excess of 2 inches. While instability will be limited 
by poor lapse rates, warm rain processes will result in efficient 
rain producers with the most persistent showers potentially anchored 
on terrain features or aligned with each leading vorticty lobe. HREF 
members suggest an increase in shower activity through the morning 
(50-70% POPs) with the more robust and heavier action eventually 
becoming relegated to mountain areas just outside the forecast area 
boundary later in the day. 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

“Incredibly anomalous”

”Warm rain processes”

”Enhanced lift”

2015 sends its blessings to our drought-stricken lands. Won’t be that much but everything helps.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Slept through them but we got two decent showers at 4:30 and 5ish AM here. Wonderful balmy feeling in the air too.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Even the steam plumes from the refinery are going straight up today, a sign of that rare instability. Normally they stay close to the ground.

[Thunder98]

I see some rain drops! Time to get my ark!

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Wow! 82F with 80% humidity in Palm Springs. That’s a 75 dew point according to the calc I use. That’s off the charts for CA.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Not bad. 0.17" for KFUL.

[Anti Marine Layer]

A warm and humid marine layer now

[Thunder98]

Light rain with big rain drops

[Pn1ct0g3n]

No rain here. Cooler than normal (only 70) with a surprise intrusion of the marine layer. The ocean air is already fighting back.

[Thunder98]

Cool and kinda muggy today.  Only 64F and mostly cloudy right now.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Hopes for a pop up storm are fading as the marine layer seems to be deepening beneath all this moisture. What’s going on there?

[Thunder98]

The Thunderstorm forecast is a bust once again for much of the coastal areas again. Only saw sprinkles so far.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Some big drops fell earlier. But that stable ocean air doesn’t go quietly. I was hoping an outflow boundary would develop and mix out the marine layer.

[Reg]

3 PM and only 79F here inland, amazing for July! Some additional light showers upped my total for today to 0.25"

[Anti Marine Layer]

June Gloom tropical style

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Tomorrow and Wednesday are looking pretty hot again, away from the coast at least. 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Before the low clouds covered it up, I got this sweet cloudscape shot from this morning…

[Anti Marine Layer]

Back to usual July weather today.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Marine layer looks pretty deep on the satellite. It reached the mountain slopes overnight.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Beaches struggling to clear. Looks like northwesterly flow is back too.
 

Coast may have trouble reaching 70 today. 68 in MB now! Quite a shift from last week. Hopefully this No-sky July won’t turn into Fogust.

[AquariusRadar]

Why are we spending money on this : Water on Gandymeade?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-detects-water-vapor-solar-131711319.html

Our best scientists waste time searching outer space for water while the looming drought supreme on Earth threatens to destroy our economy. I think it's time NASA/Federal Gov't got their big boy pants on and start researching and finding solutions to the drought. 

[Thunder98]

Despise the clouds clearing past 11 today, It warmed up very nicely the moment sun came out. Currently in the mid 70’s with dews at 59F. 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Sun has yet to peek out at west facing LA county beaches though other coasts (except SDC) are clearing nicely. Cloud cover extends several miles inland and persists all day, rather unusual for late July.

Monterey of all places cleared out while the rest of that coast up past Santa Cruz is socked in. 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Plenty of convection over the mountains. The stuff that hit us yesterday is now affecting the northern tier and Oregon.

[NWbyNW]

It's great to hear rain is hitting parts of California.  It is needed very badly!  Enjoy your rain! Hope it helps the firefighters and quells some of the fires.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Never quite cleared out here, for first time since the start of the month. 

[Thunder98]

sst anomalies are starting to go down now in the SoCal coastline.

 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

NOAA’s map doesn’t seem to reflect this quite yet. A NW wind pattern has returned and it doesn’t take long for it to start cooling down the water.

Nothing out of the ordinary in the extended forecast…expect near normal temps.