Photos by Craig Mathews of the Soberanes Burn Scar this morning:
Another Gideon Rainbow
This was seen from my bed this morning, out the window. Gideon is sure letting me know he is happy and watching out for me, no longer in pain, and playing while waiting for me. I will miss you until the end of my days, but I am glad you sent me all these rainbows.
Here is one from Pal0 Colorado Canyon:
Road Conditions – South Coast
From CHP:
Incident: 00315 Type: Traffic Hazard Location: SR1 S / GORDA Loc Desc: SB 1 JSO GORDA Lat/Lon: 35.842500 -121.401944
Detail Information
4:04 PM 3 [8] 1039 CT DIST 5 / WCB
4:03 PM 2 [7] VEH JUST HIT IT
4:03 PM 1 [4] 1125 SB LN, 3 BOULDERS THAT TUMBLED
I’m guessing Mud Creek.
Gideon’s Rainbow
Taken this morning by Howard Jones:
Gideon
Gideon
March 18, 2001-December 22, 2016:
Winter Solstice – 2016
Below, I repost one of my Winter Solstice posts from 2009:
“The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. Though the Winter Solstice lasts an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like Midwinter to refer to the day on which it occurs. For most people in the high latitudes this is commonly known as the shortest day and the sun’s daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest.” (Wikipedia)
There are as many different types of celebrations of this astrological event as there are cultures and religions, past and present. It is the “official” day of winter, here in the northern hemisphere, and it is when the days begin to lengthen again.
For me, rooted in a northern clime, the significance is both the beginning of winter, and the lengthening of the days. I am a person of the sun, who rises with it, and slows my rhythms when its time with me is also slowed. Long before we had a name to go along with these most natural of nature’s patterns (seasonal affective disorder), our bodies simply increased the secretion of melatonin in the body, causing longer sleep. Now, we know that special lights, plants, and negative ions can diminish the effect of the lesser sunlight.
It is a seasonal lull that many of nature’s plants and animals observe. It is a time for us to be focused inward rather than outward. Rather than fight the natural patterns, I choose to follow them, and become quiet, solitary, and introspective. Tomorrow, that time lessens, and my outward focus will begin its return, just as the sun increases its time in our northern skies.
I will celebrate the holidays with friends, as we all do, but for me, the true holiday is today, the Winter Solstice, when I begin my outward focus, once again, and leave the inner world I have come to inhabit.
Christmas Weekend Weather
From this afternoon’s NWS forecast:
“all agree that enough cold air will be present for snow over higher terrain Friday night into Saturday morning. Snow levels drop to 2500-3500 feet by Saturday. Cold northwest flow remains on Saturday with lingering showers possible through the day. Regarding precip amounts. It does not appear that this storm will be as strong or moisture rich as the last storm. None the less…0.25-75″ for most locations and 0.75-2″ for the hills. Depending on the exact timing of the cold air accumulating snow will be possible over the Santa Lucia range. Only real chance for a white Christmas in the Bay Area.”
From NWS, Monterey Bay:
“Much of the afternoon forecast package will focus around the evolving pattern changing later in the week. Models are coming into better agreement in bringing a storm system through the region Thursday night through early Saturday. The exact timing is not totally flushed out yet given model discrepancies. Colder air will accompany this storm system, which may bring some snow to the higher peaks in Monterey county. Will wait for the 12z model package before making any adjustments. All in all, could be a higher impact event given the holiday travel.”
From John Lindsey of SLO:
“Vigorous upper-level winds will intensify the associated cold front as it moves southeastward down the Central California Coast. This cold front is expected to pass the Central Coast Friday night with strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) southerly winds and heavy rain. Rain is expected to continue through Saturday morning.
Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) northwesterly winds and rain showers are forecast Saturday afternoon and night with colder temperatures. Snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada by Friday afternoon and night above 4,000 feet with snow levels coming down further on Saturday with more than a foot of snow expected above 5,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada. Generally chilly and clear weather is forecast on Christmas.”
Some of us may see a White Christmas at the higher elevations. ❄️
Temps
Yesterday morning there was frost everywhere, and the dog’s water bowl was frozen. Today, a friend in Lockwood wrote that it was 24 and their pipes froze. A reminder to me to remember to leave my water dripping on the nights I am expecting this.
Highway One Closure Update, 12/16/16
12:45 UPDATE:
SIGALERT UPDATE – STATE ROUTE 1
Date/Time: Friday, December 16, 2016 at 12:45 pm
Location: State Route 1 from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Fullers Point/Coast Gallery in Monterey County.
Description of Incident:
State Route 1 will fully re-open from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County (PM 72.9) to Fullers Point/Coast Gallery (PM 42.15) in Monterey County at 1 pm today following Caltrans response to three mud and rock slides within this area.
Estimated Time of Opening
State Route 1 will fully re-open at 1 pm today.
CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov
After the storm by Jen Smith on Clear Ridge:
11 am – update: Dang, it is raining again. Not heavy, but it could impact the projected opening, if it continues.
The highway remains closed due to two serious slides on the South Coast – one at Paul’s Slide, south of Lucia, and another further south at Mud Creek (south of Gorda.) Predictions currently are that they will be cleared by 2 this afternoon.
I recorded over 6 inches of rain since Tuesday night. I apologize for the lateness of this post, but I couldn’t get internet this morning via satellite or cell. The wind was still quite high.
SIGALERT UPDATE
Date/Time:Friday, December 16, 2016 at 10 am
Location:State Route 1 Closed from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Fullers Point/Coast Gallery in Monterey County.
Description of Incident:
State Route 1 is closed in both directions from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County (PM 72.9) to Fullers Point/Coast Gallery (PM 42.15) in Monterey County due to rock slides.
Estimated Time of Opening
It is expected that State Route 1 will re-open in this area by 2 pm today.
CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov
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BTW- there are some great photos by Rock Knocker taken in 2010 of Mud Creek that can be found here: Mud Creek Photos
Highway One closing overnight
Highway 1 will be closed overnight from Ventana Inn & Spa to Ragged Point.
Soutbound closure at Ventana will be closed at 8:00 PM.
Northbound closure at Ragged Point at 8:30 PM.
There are at least 12 locations where there are rocks on the roadway and rocks are continuing to come down so Caltrans and CHP are closing the road for safety.
First crews are going out at 5:30 AM tomorrow to assess and clear the roadway.
And from Suzi at PUSD: “UPS Kim made a delivery here at PV School about 6pm. He said that Paul’s slide (south of Hermitage, between Lucia and Limekiln) was falling faster than the CalTrans truck on scene could keep up with. We told him to turn around and come back to the school to spend the night with Lisa and I at GC’s house if he couldn’t get through on his way back to Monterey. Kim also said that he saw almost a dozen cars with flat tires. A van had 2 flat tires! No one should be on the road in this weather….”