Today was what Rock Knocker used to call a soaker – slow, steady, consistent rain. It is the type of rain that sets up slides, particularly mud slides, and I noticed a couple likely candidates just north of Pitkins Curve, south of The Hermitage. I think that one is called Paul’s Slide – you know the gray stuff. I’ve only gotten 3/4s of an inch, so far today, but it’s been steady every where I went.
I had to go to Monterey and Salinas for appts I have had to reschedule until today. I got to drive in all this rain all over the county. What fun. An amazing amount of tourists out and about taking photos in the rain, coming back from Garrapata Beach under an umbrellas and the like. An amazing number of large RVs of every type.
My road was the bad, the very bad, and the gawd awful. Thank goodness only some of it is clay.
I am enjoying the sound of the rain on my metal roof, the crackle of a fire in the wood stove, and the smell of wet dogs at my feet.
Enjoy our Spring rains – they will be with us most of this week.
This is what NOAA has to say: ” LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CURRENTLY DEVELOPING IN THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL PUSH TOWARDS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA … BRINGING THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SPELLS A CHANCE OF RAIN BEGINNING IN THE NORTH BAY LATE AFTERNOON. AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH RAIN WILL PUSH TOWARDS MONTEREY. COOL AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DRIVE SNOW LEVELS DOWN TO AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET. THIS WILL RESULT IN SOME SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND WOULDN`T BE SURPRISED IF MT HAMILTON RECEIVES A DUSTING OF SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.”
Woohoo! I could have snow this weekend! I shot some photos of Pitkins and Rain Rocks on Wednesday evening, that I will try to post this afternoon. One is particularly nice. (teaser)
Fall has definitely arrived, even though we never really had a summer. Big Sur Valley, Clear Ridge, and town all reported light rain this morning, and I woke to the inside of a cloud, up here.
There is drip under the trees, but no real rain at my location, although in Big Sur Valley one could hear the rain on the roof. Temperature is 56 degrees currently. At least we’re not in Texas, where reports from friends indicate hurricane conditions, or Colorado where a wildfire is ripping through homes.
My, it sure does seem peaceful up here!
12:30 pm Reports of significant rain in some Big Sur locations this afternoon. Here, it got a tad brighter and for a while, I thought the sun was going to come out. Not so.
Current nexrad indicates another short squall heading this direction.
The good news is that after this one passes, sometime tonight, the rest of the week is progged to be dry and warmer. I need that, as my blood is still thin from the tropics!
4:30 pm – moderate rain fell at 3:30 pm, and is falling again now. So far, only 1/10th of an inch, but if the current rate keeps up for any period of time, will be up to 1/4 of an inch before sunset.
10:30 am – the rain has begun. We are not supposed to get much, but it has begun very lightly up here already.
4:00 pm – cold, windy, and damp, but only drizzle down here. Did run into significant rain, in pockets, on the way back from SFO today, but not really as far south as Monterey. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Yes, I am back on the California Coast, and back to regular reporting. Will try to add additional photos from Kauai either under photographs and/or travel over the next weeks, but in the mean time, watching weather and events (lots to catch up on there!) here in Big Sur.
For today, there is a slight possibility of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, and a better chance tomorrow afternoon. Cooler temps, too.
Looks like light rain on Sunday, per NOAA discussion. I will be back by then, too.
“AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL DIVE IN FROM THE NW ON SUNDAY AND BRING CLOUDS TO ALL PORTIONS OF THE CWA ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND A FEW SHOWERS. PRECIP FORECASTS CONTINUE TO LOOK LIGHT — IN FACT THE 5 DAY QPF NUMBERS FROM HPC SHOW LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH EVEN FOR HIGHER ELEVATION LOCATIONS.”
The search for the missing kayaker has been called off.
Because I am watching two fronts – weather and road, I have divided this post into 2 sections, one for road updates, and one for weather updates. I will add information to the appropriate section as information comes my way.
WEATHER
9:30 pm – it is 34.9 degrees outside, and still dropping. It is going to hit the upper 20’s tonight — I just KNOW it. Brrr…
7:30 pm – currently down to 36.7 and still dropping.
5:30 pm – currently down to 37.4 degrees, and still dropping. Looks like a freeze tonight. I just hope it doesn’t get down into the 20’s. I have a brand-new, unopened package of silk long-johns I have misplaced. Tonight would be the night for them! (Can you tell I got my temperature gauge set up, again?)
5:00 pm – currently down to 38.0 degrees, and still dropping.
3:00 pm – 40 degrees, currently, and still dropping, after a day of mostly sunny skies. (I mistakenly put 44 degrees earlier.) It feels much colder due to wind chill factor. Windy up here, and white caps visible on the ocean.
9:30 am – NOAA’s NWS is predicting another chance of precipitation tonight, although amounts should be low, and light snow above 3K ft. No accumulation expected. Wednesday and Thursday should be dry, with a stronger system arriving on Friday.
8:00 am – First, everything is frozen up here. Hail and ice cover the deck, so I cannot safely go out on it, quite yet. It was 45 inside, when I woke this morning. However, the sun is shining. I will try to post photos later. Dave Allen reported very large hail at the mouth of the Valley. Here is one: Hail, by Jana Allen
ROAD
11:00 am – Cal-Trans JUST NOW issued this report:
MONTEREY COUNTY –The closure just south of Gorda (Alder Creek Slide) that reopened yesterday morning continues with one-way traffic control with flaggers from 7 am to 6 pm with up to 1-hour delays. The road will close again overnight tonight from 6 pm to 7 am.
Caltrans will reassess the slide conditions each morning and provide updates accordingly.
9:00 am – This is Dave Allen’s report from his commute this morning: “The road was clean, except for the Lucia slip-out. That is gowing lower fast…the drop was about a foot.Looks like the “sag” rate is about a foot a day…not bad for a slip-out! CALTRANS, though, is there with a foot of fill each day…’sorry, slip-out!’.”
8:00 am -Please see Suzi’s comment from last night under Road Conditions, 3/8, for her first hand report of going through the Alder Creek slide around 5:30 last night. I have yet to receive anything “official” from Cal-Trans, but that normally doesn’t come in until 9 am.
First, the weather report for this coming Friday has eased up a bit for our area. The current NOAA discussion states:
“IMAGERY IS NOT INDC THAT MUCH MOISTURE WILL ENTRAIN INTO THE SYSTEM. THIS UPPER TROUGH WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES TO THE COAST. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWING THROUGH THE DISTRICT FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL INCREASE THUR NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS A SFC LOW INTENSIFIES OFF THE WA COAST. HOWEVER…SINCE THE FRONT WILL BE QUICK MOVING THE AREAL EXTENT AS WELL AS THE DURATION OF THE WINDS SEEM TOO SMALL TO WARRANT ANY WIND PRODUCTS. IT DOESN`T LOOK LIKE
THERE WILL BE MUCH WAA…SO THE MAIN RAINFALL WILL OCCUR WITH THE FRONT.
AFTER THE FRONT PASSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT FRIDAY/FRIDAY EVENING RAIN WILL TURN TO SHOWERS. SHOWERS WILL DECREASE RAPIDLY FRIDAY NIGHT… WITH A SLIGHT CHC MAINLY FOR THE MONTEREY BAY AREA ON SAT IN THE MOIST NW FLOW (A FAVORED LOCATION IN THE MOIST NW FLOW ALOFT).”
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BSMAAC Meeting Notes:
Public Comment Section:
1. Bill Nye reported on the Ft. Ord Veteran’s Cemetery.
2. Lorri Lockwood reported on the draft EIR from the State Water Resources Control Board and the El Sur Ranch’s Water Right Application (No. 30166.) The draft can be read at: El Sur Draft EIR
comments accepted until December 14, 2009. For questions, contact Paul Murphey at pmurphey@waterboards.ca.gov or (916)341-5435.
3. Linda Sayre reported on the Highway One meeting. The two main subjects are trash and bicycles. Suggestions re: both were discussed. (Ed. note: See Highway Management Plan and Byways Organization for additional)
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Big Sur USFS Management Unit: This topic took the most time. Sam Farr provided copies of the text of HR 4040, as well as summaries and maps. Mike Caplin questioned some of the language of the proposed act, Butch Kronlund questioned putting the Act through without prior public input. Sam Farr agreed to a special meeting to consider amendments to the Act before it is presented for a vote. Will keep everyone posted about this.
2. Coast Highway Management Plan and Byway Oraganization Update Dave Potter stressed the need for a working group with representatives from the South Coast, Big Sur Valley, Carmel Highlands, Chamber of Commerce, and other affected areas. This working group would be the place to consider the trash and bicycle problems previously discussed (Ed. note: I attended the original meeting for this group several years ago at the FireHouse in Carmel Highlands. It seems to have “stalled” since then. Anyone from the south coast interested in this working group, please contact me.)
3. Update on Big Sur Fire Safe Grant and CWPP Frank Pinney brought us up-to-date. The MoCo CWPP is in the final draft stages. Suggestions for Big Sur CWPP and South Coast CWPPs which will feed into the MoCo draft.
REPORTS FROM MEMBER AGENCIES
1. Chamber of Commerce – Kirk Gafill reported on the Ambulance Service, which looks to be able to continue. He also reported business is up and has been good.
2 CPOA – Butch Kronlund reported on upcoming Annual Meeting this past Monday
3. State Parks – Mat Fuzie reported that Limekiln has been given back to the Monterey District (from the SLO District) and they are evaluating the repairs necessary to re-open the Campground, are setting up a timeline to accomplish necessary repairs, and an appropriate ranger found to manage it.
4. USFS – Sherry Tune reported that her district received $600K to repair trails w/i the district, and $ for road work within the forest is also available. She also reported Pine Ridge is now open.
Meeting adjourned at just before 1 pm, a record.
2010 Meeting dates:
February 26th; April 30; July 30th; October 29th.
9:30 pm, and all is quiet here on Top o’ the World. Before sunset, I went and checked the back gate. No campers. No illegal fires. I went and checked the front gate. Same. Now, I go outside and check Prewitt Ridge — lots of lights, but no campfires. All quiet here on the western front. *sigh* Thank you, Goddess, Buddha, and all the other powers that be.
As you all know, there is a 20% chance of thunder showers through Sunday. Frankly, I’d rather deal with Mother Nature than with stupidity, but chances of fire are every where, until the first real rains of the season. It is just part of the life of living in the wilderness.
This morning’s NOAA discussion includes: “ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH SHOWERS EXPECTED LATE MORNING IN
SOUTHEAST PORTION OF FORECAST AREA DOWN AROUND SOUTHERN MONTEREY
AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES WITH SLOW PROGRESSION TO DIABLO RANGE
ADJACENT TO SAN JOSE BY LATE AFTERNOON AND LINGERING INTO THE
EVENING HOURS.”
Okay, so it is late morning, and nothing yet. Of course, this specifically says, “southeast” so hopefully won’t affect the coast, particularly the lightning.
Last night’s Rave party was calm, as far as I could see and hear. No trouble. I can look out with my binoculars and see a HUGE number of vehicles, all along the top of the ridge, back toward the east of the ridge, down below on the south side, in the actual camp area, and at least one vehicle, way below the camp, south east from it, where I’ve never seen vehicles before.
I did not go out to check on the Cayucas yay-hoos (think accent here, not misspelling) last night, as I had my hands full with Prewitt.
I woke to the sounds of gunfires and dogs barking in response, this morning. Lots of shots means either a couple of bad shots, or a bunch of hunters. I’m betting on the latter. At some point today I will probably patrol some of the area, but it is a work day for me.
While we wait on the fate of our State Parks, while we hope for more rain (and little lightning, please), I thought I’d bring everyone up-to-date on Dakota.
It has been over a month that she had been confined to quarters. She is not allowed outside until her wound has closed up. She still has a gap of an inch or more which is taking a very long time to heal. She went to the vet again on Friday. Every night I must irrigate it with a betadine/saline solution — a lot of it. Neither one of us likes this process. We have to do this for 2 weeks, and then she goes back to the vet. This has been a long and difficult road for the two of us.
We’ll both be glad when she can go outside on her own again.
On another note — I had a lot of fire clearance done yesterday. Everything is looking so good!! My view, which is always great, is even more spectacular now. Also “groomed” some Oaks, and what a difference that makes. I want them ALL groomed like that. One more day next week, and it is all done. A photo when my camera arrives. It gets shipped tomorrow. Yeah!!
