8:30 am – I currently have a mixture of sun, clouds, and thunder – only one, but loud! I got almost 3/4″ yesterday, and another .16″ this morning. We are at 1.30″ for the month, and 6.30″ for the year.
If Mike Morales is able to get any sun this am up his way in Carmel, he will be out grabbing some big waves shots for your viewing this afternoon. 33′ at Point Sur at 11 pm last night! I’ll also be updating this weather report as necessary, throughout the day.
Today was prep day, and I had help – getting wood inside, getting two leaks patched (hopefully), making sure I had enough water – nothing is worse than running low on water when it is raining cats and dogs outside – cooking up a batch of chili, turning a Sat turkey carcass into soup for the duration, making sure as much is secure as I can. My job was to man the kitchen. 😉 An easy job, I must say.
All eyes will be on the weather stories for the rest of the week. Would love to share yours with my readers. Send to kwnovoa@mac.com
Here is the satellite shot, thanks to Dave Allen!
BTW, great moonrise tonight between the clouds. Wish I’d had my camera!
3:00 – the sun has come out several times this afternoon, making my solar panels happy, then the rain has come, then the sun, then the rain. What a glorious dance we are doing today. The garden is smiling!
11:00 am update – WOW! Major storm up here! Heavy, heavy downpour, thunder and lightning right on top of me. Hail, amazing. One dog, Dakota, needs Rescue Remedy, and I have none. Even I am getting nervous. This is right on top of me. Oh, the joys of living on top of a mountain! All hell broke loose for the last 20 minutes (it is 11:20), but hoping it settles down. During one simultaneous strike and thunder, I yelled, “Holy sh*#” and scared my dogs even more. Now all four need the rescue remedy – an herbal calming recipe. First storm of the season is definitely exciting!
9:00 am – Fall arrived for me yesterday, when I took my winter comforter out of storage and put it on my bed and closed all the windows. The evening chill is here.
Today, clouds cover the sky, I woke to dampness on the deck, although no rain in the gauge, and at 9 am, thunder started. It is a deep, distant rumbling. I am hoping that if it gets closer, the rain will accompany it, so we don’t have a late lightning-sparked fire. My sweater is almost enough to take the chill off … a good thing, as my wood stove is apart, getting its yearly cleaning.
Every season is my favorite, when it first begins. I have tired of the heat and wearied of the dust, and thus, welcome fall with the joy of a change.
All the dogs, who have spent their days outside for months, decided today was an indoor day. They will add heat to a slightly chilly cottage. I will be keeping my eyes on the skies, as this thunder continues, but today and tomorrow, my dwindling appellate practice needs attention. It is winding down as the days of my retirement approach. A good day to be in my office! (BTW, the thunder has kept up for the last 1/2 hour.
5:00 pm – red flag warning in effect throughout the evening in the Monterey NWS area. While I can see build up of clouds to the north and to the east, I have sunshine and no thunder here. Even my dog Dakota’s keen hearing is picking up nothing. She ALWAYS hears it long before me, and tries to crawl under whatever she can. My other three are not bothered, so I always keep an eye on her whenever there is a chance of lightning, no matter how remote.
8:30 am – This afternoon through tomorrow, very unstable weather, with possibility of lightning strikes. Wet or dry strikes (and models are unclear if the rain will hit the ground, but San Jose already experiencing rain this morning) brings serious threats of fire starts in Monterey County and the greater Bay area, even if rain accompanies the strikes, as fuel levels are extremely dry.
So keep an eye out, report any down strikes you see on land, if possible. I have to do a quick yo-yo south, but will be watching this closely through tomorrow.
The National Weather Service predicts isolated thunderstorms are expected Saturday, from the late morning through the afternoon hours over the higher terrain mountain locations of Southeastern Monterey and San Benito Counties. Severe weather or flash flooding is not expected and any rainfall amounts will be light. These storms will be capable of producing lightning strikes and contain a threat of dry lightning which will increase the wildfire risk and pose a threat to any back-country travelers on the ridge tops. IMPACTS TO SOUTHEAST MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES HIGHER ELEVATIONS (2500 FT+)
Thunderstorms will contain occasional cloud to ground lightning strikes in the absence of rain which will produce elevated wildfire conditions. Deadly strikes will pose a threat to any back-country travelers in the higher terrain on ridge tops.
I’m southwest, so no lightning, right? Will keep you posted, as necessary, and be on lookout duty for the day.
