Author Topic: First bucket tip (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)  (Read 5531 times)

elagache

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Dear WeatherCat West Coast drought sufferers,

Over a space of about a week, I've had two potential rain events where a low pressure center from the north interacted with some warm southern monsoonal flow.  Monday night we had a considerable amount of lightning and a few brief showers - but none sufficient to cause the rain gauge to tip.  This morning we had one last shower event that was sufficient to "tip da' bucket."



That leaves the statistics in an interesting state according to the WeatherCat comparison with past Septembers:



It does feel hotter, calmer, and drier than in the past.  The summer appears to last longer and the storms are later in coming.  Still the Autumnal Equinox is only 9 days away.  Here is the exact day and time for your location:

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20170922T2002&msg=September%20Equinox%202017

With the celestial start of Autumn there is hope for a change in the weather.

Cheers, Edouard

Blicj11

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Re: First bucket tip (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2017, 12:10:29 AM »
Your little storm gathered up some moisture as it climbed over the Sierras and dropped .13 at my home late this afternoon. Keep 'em coming. The last two months have been unusually dry after such a wet winter.
Blick


elagache

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Not rain but wind (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2017, 11:38:17 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the season's turning,

In California there is a period when storms pass to our North and East and cause rapid changes in pressure.  Those changes are responsible for the off-shore wind events like the famous Santa Anas.  Last night we had one such event it was indeed very windy.  Here is the "blow by blow" as captured by my "WC Storm Monitor" AppleScript:



Over 6 hours of high winds are very unusual for my AppleScript to capture.  The peak gust of 26 mph (42 kph) was the strongest gust observed in all of 2017 and the strongest gust ever observed in October since the station went up in 2009.  Since my anemometer is very much wind sheltered, the actual gust that generated the reading could have easily been double that.

Off-shore wind events also result in extremely low humidities.  The humidity range for today has been only 18% to 28%.  The combination of high winds and low humidities are a recipe for fire disaster.  The San Francisco East Bay hills lucked out with no significant fires starting.  Alas the San Francisco North Bay wasn't so lucky:

http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article177823806.html

It goes to show you that we need to be aware of the all the ways weather can potentially put us into harm's way.

Edouard

Blicj11

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Re: First bucket tip (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2017, 01:27:21 AM »
Impressive use of those Apple Scripts, not to mention the weather itself.
Blick


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Re: First bucket tip (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2017, 03:06:03 AM »
"The combination of high winds and low humidities are a recipe for fire disaster."
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/09/556672607/wildfires-rage-in-california-wine-country-forcing-evacuations
Tragic. Where we choose to live often has dangers we don't want to acknowledge.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

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Soldiering on and dangerous ignorance (Re: 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2017, 12:03:10 AM »
Dear Blick, X-Air and WeatherCat users who want to know what's the weather is doing,

Impressive use of those Apple Scripts, not to mention the weather itself.

Yes, the old AppleScripts are soldiering on.  I sure hope nothing happens to break them.  I'm really accustomed to the additional data!

"The combination of high winds and low humidities are a recipe for fire disaster."

. . .

Tragic. Where we choose to live often has dangers we don't want to acknowledge.

Alas, there are many who simply live out their lives mostly oblivious to the natural forces like weather.  Too many people really are detached from the outdoors, working and playing in controlled environments.  When you come to believe that is the reality in which you live - you are extremely vulnerable to the wrath of Mother Nature.

Edouard

elagache

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First storm (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2017, 12:34:37 AM »
Dear WeatherCat Western US climate watchers,

We finally had our first bonafide storm of the 2017-18 season.  It brought us 0.38" (9.6mm) of rain.  Not a lot but only 0.25" was expected so that well above the forecast.  We had a peak rate of 1.93"/hr (49mm/hr) so that was strong enough to wash out a lot of the dust and other debris that has accumulated all summer.  Alas, it was short lived and next week we return to well above normal temperatures.  Still it was very helpful while it lasted.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: First bucket tip (Re: highlights from 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2017, 07:57:09 AM »
Your storm is dumping snow in northern Utah tonight. Keep it coming.
Blick


elagache

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Back to off-shore winds (Re: 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2017, 10:41:11 PM »
Dear WeatherCat users concerned about the weather in the Western USofA,

Your storm is dumping snow in northern Utah tonight. Keep it coming.

Alas, that's all we are going to get at least through the end of the month.  Starting tomorrow we are going to be squeezed under a very strong ridge of high pressure with some strong off-shore winds.  We might be back into red flag fire danger by the end of the week.  So back on the roller-coaster . . . .

Oh well, . . . .  Edouard

elagache

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A weak but warm AR event (Re: 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2017, 12:18:10 AM »
Dear WeatherCat west coast of the USofA weather watchers,

We are having an unusual atmospheric river event today.  This morning water vapor images showed a plume of moisture (precipitable water values near 1.50") from northern California back to the subtropics.  Recent GFS/NAM forecasts have indicated strong integrated water vapor transport (IVT) values approaching 800-1,000 kg/m/s today.  Yet there has been only moderate rainfall.  The high pressure ridge over Southern California was slower to retreat then predicted and that dried the air under the river and also narrowed the path it would traverse.

Even so we had a decent rain event this morning and are expecting more rain tonight.  The peak rainfall rate was 1.52"/hr (38.6mm/hr) and the total rain received was 0.41" (10.4mm) thus far.  We might come close to doubling that overnight.

The other oddity is the temperatures.  It has been close to 60˚ F (15.5˚ C) all day.  That is extremely warm for late November.  This is also due to the combination of moist tropical air on top of the Southwestern Ridge.

I'm not complaining but it is very unusual weather.  I can't recall anything quite like this.

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

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Another round of wind (Re: 2017-18 North CA rainy season)
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2017, 12:50:14 AM »
Dear WeatherCat west coast climate watchers,

A dry storm moved to our North and East yesterday.  Winds developed between that low and the intensifying high pressure ridge resulting in some very strong winds.  Here is what my WC Storm Monitor AppleScript reported:



The wind valves may not seem very high, but remember that our house is extremely wind-sheltered.  26 mph (42 km/hr) was a new annual record.  On Mount Diablo a gust was observed at 80 mph! (129 km/hr.)  The duration was also very unusual.  Normally the winds aren't that sustained.  There wasn't any serious damage like the wild-fires in Southern California (even if they were caused by the same weather pattern.)  Still I spotted this palm tree that had shed many pieces all over the neighborhood:



Certainly in California it is self-evident that the weather has become more extreme.

Oh well, . . . . . Edouard