Author Topic: Welcome to Autumn 2017  (Read 8369 times)

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Lots of smoke! (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #15 on: October 11, 2017, 10:19:04 PM »
Dear Grand, X-Air and WeatherCat adventurers,

The wind storm also brought us the Lobo fire. We are 3/4 of a mile east of the mandatory evacuation zone. We are without power, have intermittent telephone service, and the DSL is down. Cell service is poor because some towers were damaged. But we're doing fine. We have a bag packed in case we have to evacuate.

So sorry to hear that you had some grief from Sunday's off-shore wind event.  At least the fire isn't a problem at the moment!  We don't have any fires in the San Francisco East Bay, but we sure do have a lot of smoke from the North Bay.  Here is a tree in Autumn colors barely visible through the haze:



Here is a hillside that is about 1 mile away:



Compare that photo to the one I took in 2015 from the same location:



Our air quality has been compared to that of Beijing!

Still, the smoke is no problem so long as we don't have any additional fires.  Alas we are expecting off-shore winds tonight and tomorrow night.  We are back on a red flag warning for potential fire danger.  We'll just have to continue to be vigilant.

Cheers, Edouard   

Blicj11

  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 3941
    • EW3808
    • KUTHEBER6
    • Timber Lakes Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus | WeatherLinkIP Data Logger | iMac (2019), 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9, 40 GB RAM, macOS Ventura 13.6 | Sharx SCNC2900 Webcam | WeatherCat 3.3 | Supportive Wife
Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2017, 04:27:45 PM »
No photos, but the smoke from the California fires has rolled into the valleys here in Northern Utah. Hope every one of our WeatherCatters in California are safe.
Blick


elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Another disappointing year for color (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2017, 11:42:53 PM »
Dear Blick and WeatherCat observers of the seasons changing,

Hope every one of our WeatherCatters in California are safe.

The situation has improved for the most part from yesterday through most of the day today.  However, we are expecting another very strong off-shore wind event late tonight through tomorrow.  So California WeatherCatters better stay on guard since this could start new fires.

In other news, I can see that we will have another disappointing year when it comes to autumn foliage (fires notwithstanding.)  The long hot Summer has over-stressed the trees and many are dropping their leaves before they change color.  I managed to catch this tree this morning:



However, it looks like I won't be contributing much of anything really pretty to this thread.

Such are da' conditions that prevail . . . . . .

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Two more local trees (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #18 on: October 27, 2017, 11:46:33 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

I'm still not having much luck getting some particular pretty scenes of autumn foliage, but just to keep this thread going here are two more:



Here is a tree with red foliage.  These are much less common in our neck of the woods:



It appears that winter is closing in on a good many of you and scenes like this are becoming a distant memory.  So enjoy them while they last!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

bcurry

  • Strong Breeze
  • ***
  • Posts: 122
    • CWOP EW 1820
    • INOVASCO73
    • Coastal Port Maitland, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Station Details: Vantage Pro 2 on Mac Studio running Ventura (Mac OS 13) and WeatherCat 3
Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2017, 06:25:45 PM »
Hi WeatherCats:
We're under a  wind warning from Tropical Storm Phillipe coming up the coast and it's supposed to merge with a low before going up the Bay of Fundy. I think that's going to make scenes like this have to wait for next year!
Cheers,
Bill


elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
You've got THE Autumn scenery! (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #20 on: October 29, 2017, 10:23:09 PM »
Dear Bill and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

Another beautiful shot!  However, this one didn't tax your skill as much.  The trees are so gorgeous that you could let them do the "heavy lifting" to make the picture beautiful.

We're under a  wind warning from Tropical Storm Phillipe coming up the coast and it's supposed to merge with a low before going up the Bay of Fundy. I think that's going to make scenes like this have to wait for next year!

Best of luck riding out this storm!  We are definitely starting reach the point of the first Winter storms for the Northern hemisphere for this year.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
More Autumn yellow. (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2017, 11:34:29 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

Amazingly some trees are still turning this late in the season.  I managed to snap this tree this afternoon:



I might grab a few more shots but the weather is definitely turning.  Looks like an unusually wet November as far as the forecasters are willing to guess.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Atmospheric River season!! (Re: Autumn 2017)
« Reply #22 on: November 16, 2017, 11:57:47 PM »
Dear WeatherCat West coast drought watchers,

Thus far, while there has been some rain in Northern California, the quantity has been far from generous.  Finally we have had our first atmospheric river rain event and it has lived up to billing.  Thus far, the storm has given us 2.38" of rain (60.5mm) and we are still picking up some drizzle.  That has vaulted us to within a tenth of an inch of normal for November.  So far, it hasn't done any damage that I'm aware of, although we did pick up a small amount of seepage in the workshop.  I assume the soils were so dry that some rainfall just ran right through.

I was able to catch some autumn trees in the rain.  Here is a nice red tree:



Here is a tree with yellow leaves that are well underway to falling off:



I have one more autumn scene that is extremely unusual in Northern California this early in the season:



This little creek had water in it all through the summer.  I've never seen that before.  It is still early in the 2017-18 rainfall season, but if the atmospheric rivers don't let us down, we might have enough water for a second year in a row!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Indian summer in California (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #23 on: November 21, 2017, 11:02:30 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

We have an unexpectedly strong ridge of high pressure over California.  As a result the temperatures are unusually warm for this time of year.   Today's high was 63˚ F (17.2˚ C) which is almost 10˚ F above normal (around 20% above normal.)  It was a good time to get my camera out for some pictures.  I managed to capture this tree in the fading light of afternoon:



I also managed to capture this tree in the reddish hues for a change:



Note the palm tree to the left.  This is after all California!  :D

Enjoy! Edouard  :)

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
What's left after the storm (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2017, 12:18:39 AM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

Yesterday's storm was also quite windy so I didn't expect there to be much left in the way of Autumn foliage.  Still some trees are more hardy than others and are still shedding their leaves more slowly.  I spotted this tree nicely framed behind a background of evergreen trees:



Here is a group of trees in Autumn color against a steep road:



It isn't a forest of trees in Autumn splendor but it is as good as you can expect in suburban Northern California!  :D

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

xairbusdriver

  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 3126
    • EW7115 (E7115)
    • KTNGERMA20
    • Mid-South Weather
  • Station Details: Davis VP2 wireless + remote Anemometer/2014 Mac min - 10.15.7/WC 3.0.5
Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017
« Reply #25 on: November 28, 2017, 01:35:03 AM »
Just to prove I didn't really use camouflage duct tape...
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Thanks for sharing! (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #26 on: November 29, 2017, 12:15:10 AM »
Dear X-Air and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

A very nice shot X-Air!   :)  Thanks for sharing!

Just to prove I didn't really use camouflage duct tape...

 [wink] . . . Awe shucks!  I took you at your word! . . .  [biggrin]

In the voice of Marvin the Martian:

 [wink] . . . . I'm not angry, just terribly, terribly hurt! . . . . .   lol(1)

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
The final season for California's hillsides (Re: Autumn 2017)
« Reply #27 on: December 01, 2017, 12:28:01 AM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of the seasons turning,

While many consider the weather of California to be a kind of paradise, in truth it represents a different kind of harshness - deprivation.  Wild plants must endure a very long dry season.  Grasses cope with this by allowing the blades to die out.  This produces the well known brown or "golden" color to California's hills (and other places facing drought.)  Here is an example of a hillside in early Summer 2015:



This is how California's hills look like most of the year.  However, once there has been sufficient rain, there is one final transition that takes place.  The process of decomposing the dried grass changes their color from brown to something more silvery.  Here is the same hillside photographed yesterday:



Some of the effect is certainly due to the low angle of the sun, but the changing color of the grasses is real.  Here is another example with a transition from Autumn to Winter in the air:



On the hillside behind the trees the grasses are clearly silvery in color.  Here is a particularly clear example where the sun was about 90˚ to the camera direction:



Hillsides at this time of year can be almost other worldly.  This hillside certainly doesn't appear to be what humans are accustomed to when it comes to plants:



 ;) . . . Of course, if you really want to accentuate the "other worldly" aspect of a photo, you can always try setting your polarizer on "kill!" . . .  [biggrin]



I hope that's some distraction from the bleak harshness of winter that already some of you have to cope with.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

xairbusdriver

  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 3126
    • EW7115 (E7115)
    • KTNGERMA20
    • Mid-South Weather
  • Station Details: Davis VP2 wireless + remote Anemometer/2014 Mac min - 10.15.7/WC 3.0.5
Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017
« Reply #28 on: December 01, 2017, 11:38:31 PM »
I believe you can improve the starkness of your images with judicious use of some of the tone painting brushes in PS, Lightroom or ON1... You can also "move" those power lines without any consultation with SoCalEdison! ;)
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Just don't have time for post-processing (Re: Welcome to Autumn 2017)
« Reply #29 on: December 02, 2017, 10:48:02 PM »
Dear X-Air and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

I believe you can improve the starkness of your images with judicious use of some of the tone painting brushes in PS, Lightroom or ON1... You can also "move" those power lines without any consultation with SoCalEdison! ;)

I'm sure that's true but I'm so strapped for time that I have no choice but to take photos "da' ol' fashioned way."  I really try to frame and compose the photo the first time - I won't have time to go back and fix it.

Cheers, Edouard

P.S. I would have to ask permission from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) not Southern California Edison , but who's quibbling!  :D