Rain and Snow Likely on Sunday. Sun Returns for Monday.

Quick morning post for all you weekend warriors. Get out there early on Saturday and enjoy the day.  Clouds will be increasing on Saturday afternoon and evening as high pressure in the area breaks down.  We now are expecting the Sunday system to drag further south down the coast before ejecting inland.  This will mean more cooling and a greater chance for precipitation.  This is neither a large or a wet system, so any rain or snow we get should be short lived and light.  Still, it is the first rain event we have had in weeks, so be prepared.  Sun should return on Monday.

Now I do not want to get anyone too excited.  This is not part of a pattern change, rather just an insider slider.  Starting to look like a hefty one at that.  The late morning models are suggesting up to 3/4" of rain in the Santa Cruz mountains and an 1" along portions of the Sierra Crest.  This is a big increase since yesterday's models and Thursday's suggested we would stay dry.  The how far south it dives along the coast, before shifting inland, will determine amounts of precipitation and how cold the air gets.  Expect about a 10 degree drop in temperatures, perhaps a bit more.  A pretty solid rebound is expected on Monday and Tuesday, but it will not warm up as much as this past week. As for the central valley, fog looks to get knocked out on Sunday and Monday, but fill back in on Tuesday.  They are having a rough winter; it was 39F and foggy at the Sacramento airport this morning.  Brrrr.

This past week was some very nice weather surfing indeed.  Waves were going off all over Santa Cruz county.  Steamer Lane attracted the usual crowd of rippers putting on a show and viewers enjoying every minute of it.  Up the coast, the waves were a bi bigger, a bit meaner and a bit of paradise.  The blessed combination of good swell and calm winds has come to an end though.  A NW breeze started picking up today around noon.  Swell is still overhead today, and continues to settle. A new, potentially larger swell is due to arrive Sunday evening into Monday, but will be plagued by strong NW winds as the high pressure moves back into the area.  Winds and swell moderate through the week as day time highs move back into the mid 60s.

Chance of snow.  How much is still up in the air.  The reasonable talk is for 3-6" of the white stuff, starting late on Saturday and snowing more steadily Sunday and Sunday night.  Saturday morning will still be above freezing, and how soft the snow gets before the cold air arrives all depends on timing.  Sunday may ski well, but it will pretty solid under a light layer of new snow.  Stick to some groomed runs, or gullies that will capture a bit more snow.  We would need a good foot of snow to make a legitimate powder day, but even a few inches could set us up with a nice resurfacing.

Pattern change still looks likely around the 7-9th of the month.  There have been a few systems showing up on the charts, but no real break through of the jet.  The long range keeps changing in details, but some variation of a low pressure system is looking to take form.  It may be our turn and the East can get a little reprieve from the cold an snow.  They are having the winter of a decade over there right now.  And that has afforded us our great winter weather.

Interesting finds at the local market.  Tomatoes.  Not like the pinnacle of summer tomato, but a nice find indeed.  Great on pizza.  I also tried a greenhouse tomato the was grown in Pioneer, in the Motherlode.  Sweet enough for a salad.  I was impressed.  Cedar Mills Ecofarm has an interesting set up, heating their greenhouses with low value forest clippings (read branches and stuff).  Pretty cool.  Still found a few nice apples, a cucumber (I mean, come on!) and some nice dates.  Along with the usual winter fare.

Also worth noting.  Lighthouse field in Santa Cruz is infested right now with monarch butterflies.  So unless you like looking at thousands of fluttering brightly colored creatures, stay away.  They having been loving this warm weather and staying very active.  I imagine they call also be found down at Natural Bridges and a eucalyptus grove near you.