I like the Oct thru Dec map and hope the predictions, at least for the Central Coast, are accurate. Unfortunately, it is not looking good for Santa Cruz and northern areas, AND we still have the month of September to ride out.
Here’s 9/1/09-9/30/09:
And here is 10/1/09-12/31/09:
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The link is not working Kate.
Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. It looked fine on my computer, so without your comment, I would never have known. The problem was in converting from tiff to jpg, but I think I have the process figured out, now. Added a new map, too, so we know about this month.
Thanks for the informative maps. As if we could not tell from just going outside. I jsut noted that with this heat, all the big leaf maples are turning yellow and dropping their leaves early in Sycamore Canyon and along the highway. Many “veteran” shrubs in my landscape have also begun to die.
Great maps. I was wondering how the predicted El Nino is expected to impact the drought. I became sidetracked and surfed into to this view of predicted weather.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/threats/threats.php
The longer term forecast indicates we won’t see above average rains until Jan/Feb/Mar of next year. Some rain is forecast for December but that chart suggests only normal values.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead05/off05_prcp.gif
The State is stressed, we need some precipitation.
Hi, firefox. I have noted my big leaf maple are still quite green (I do not water them, but I think they found a source on their own), while the poison oak is an angry, but beautiful red, and the native grapes have begun their fall transition to the lovely purple-red color. Besides the cooler nights of fall, my next favorite thing is the colors.
May we be blessed with about 1/2 inch of rain per frontal passage, neatly spaced between intervals of four days of sunshine. May there be no lightning during any of the storms. May there be clean 6-8 foot northwest swells with perfect barrels at every surf spot on the coast (during hours when I do not have to work), EXCEPT, when I must launch my boat to fish (flat surf on those days). May the boulders poised on top of Pitkin’s Curve and other slides, ready to squash my truck just stay where they are, and may the wildflowers return again next Spring for an encore show!
…Just dreamin’!
The maps are very useful Kate, thanks for sharing them.
I am amazed on the first map that we all remain in the red, yet on the second it lessens the chance of fire.
However the fire vrisk will remain reguardless unless we get some rain soon. I pray El Nino comes soon.