Day: February 12, 2009

Snow Cast

3:30 pm, my systems are about to be tested. I have plenty of propane, gasoline, and other necessities. Predictions are for an accumulation up to 10 inches by Saturday. I think I will be able to maintain internet communications, and definitely cell phone. So,  from NOAA, once again, snow predictions have been increasing steadily as this storm gets closer. This is this afternoon’s report:

SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHBAY AND EAST-BAY HILLS TONIGHT
 PUSHING SOUTH INTO THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS AND EVENTUALLY 
INTO THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS BY EARLY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS 
WILL DROP TO AROUND 2000 FEET LATE TONIGHT AND REMAIN THERE 
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL ALLOW TOTAL SNOW 
ACCUMULATION TO REACH NEARLY 10 INCHES BY SATURDAY MORNING. 
WITH SOME SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY PRESENT...100 TO 200 J/KG 
CAPE...PERIODS OF HEAVIER SNOW ARE POSSIBLE. THEREFORE A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1000 PM PST TONIGHT THROUGH
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000 FEET.

State Park closure update, 2/12

From the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce:

“According to Matt Fuzie, District Superintendent for the Big Sur sector of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, there is a significant possibility that Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park will not be able to re-open the campground and day use areas as planned by Memorial Day Weekend due to the temporary and on-going cessation of the contract for the new bridge.  Until such time as the budget is passed in Sacramento and bond funds are freed up, the contractor will not be able to re-commence work. At the very least, the planned re-opening is likely to be significantly delayed into the summer season based on the current work interruption and in a worst case scenario it may be well after the summer season before the park re-opens the campground.
 
The campground has 200 sites and combined day use and camper population is approximately 1,000 people per day, every day during the summer season.
 
A Sacramento State economic study, commissioned by the California State Department of Parks and Recreation, determined that the economic multiplier for local communities with state parks was approximately $7 to $11 per every $1 spent in the park.  Additionally, with the existing closures of most of the various park and wilderness areas along the Big Sur coast due to the Basin Complex and Chalk Hill fires, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park’s continued closure in our summer season and beyond would have an outsized affect and virtually eliminate one of the most important reasons many travelers have to visit our area.
 
Currently, the best option available to the Department of Parks and Recreation is to find funding to re-install/replace the old Bailey bridge adjacent to the Highway 1 by Memorial Day, and thus allow access to the campground even if the new bridge project is still in limbo or incomplete.  There is enormous competition from communities and interest groups across the state for what scarce state dollars are available, thus we need to make a compelling case that the benefits of the park being open significantly outweigh the cost of an interim bridge.”

Storm Watch and snow report, 2/12

7:30 am – rain total, .4 inches; season total, 18.5 inches. CHP reports no highway problems in Big Sur. And following is a hazardous weather conditions report. LOOK at the projected snow totals!!

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM
FRIDAY TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY.

A COLD STORM SYSTEM FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL MOVE INTO
CALIFORNIA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE
AREA INTO SATURDAY MORNING. THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE AMPLE MOISTURE
AND THE COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL DROP SNOW LEVELS DOWN TO 2000 BY
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF
SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 FEET...WITH 6 TO 8
INCHES FOR ELEVATIONS OVER 3000 FEET.

NOAA forecast discussion continues to predict snow down to 2000 ft. in the Santa Lucia Mtns. by tomorrow morning.

THIS SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTH TODAY AND WILL SWING A
 COLD FRONT ACROSS THE DISTRICT TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM IS QUITE A BIT
 COLDER THAN THE PREVIOUS SYSTEMS...AND UNLIKE THE PAST SYSTEMS THE
 PRECIPITATION WILL COINCIDE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLD AIRMASS.
 SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO 2000 TONIGHT IN THE SF BAY AREA...AND WILL
 DROP TO 2000 FEET BY FRI MRNG IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MONTEREY AND SAN
 BENITO COUNTIES.