4:00 pm – I got a 1/10th of an inch today, bringing the season total to 4.6″. It just started POURING here! Fortunately, I had already got all the fur kids inside to feed them. Got so dark about an hour ago, I turned on a light, filled a couple of oil lamps and lit them, and put another log on the fire for the evening. I love reading on my iPad – don’t need a separate light! I have found that if I run my genie for about an hour a day during these “no sun days” I have power for at least 24 hours, if I am judicious. I haven’t pushed it to see how long the power lasts, just run it every afternoon for an hour. What a great system!
I have been monitoring the CHP site on and off all day, and so far, no serious issues on Highway One, at least here in Big Sur, although I am sure CT has had their hands full.
10 am – here is the latest satellite photo, courtesy of Dave Allan
Here is the latest NEXRAD
As we all know, significant rain expected tonight through Sunday, per NOAA. Looks like we will get a break during the day today, although I got a bit of rain about an hour ago.
Also, the latest Rocky Creek update (#7) provides the usual closures next week, Sunday through Thursday, 9 pm-7am. For visuals of the bents being installed, scroll down a couple of posts.
that is one scary looking storm. So far in Santa Cruz County aside from some wind yesterday morning, (at least in Capitola, I hear San Lorenzo Valley different), it’s been pretty gentle. Hang in there!
Looks like caramel icing.
yup, it is a classic monster cyclone. It is out there spinning counterclockwise. The moist tropical is being pulled up around the front (right) side of the vortex, and the cold arctic air is being twisted around the back (left) side. Around the bottom (south side) of the storm, the cold air collides with the northbound warm air, and “WHAM!” all @&%# breaks loose. The warm air rises up over the cold air, and it dumps tons of precipitation as it rises and cools. This storm is so BIG, that the spiral flow of warm and cold air goes in waves. Each wave starts with a warm front, and ends with a cold front, with violent weather in between. You can actually see each of the waves , like spokes on a wheel, inside the swirling vortex. The first wave is that wall of clouds slamming into the whole California coast. The others will swing around and lash us about every other day, until this thing slides eastward towards Idaho, on the Jet Stream (Monday).
That’s a very good explanation.