Ba-ute-ta-full Out There.

Sunday morning we awoke to snow rimed mountain tops surrounding Monterey Bay.  It was a stunning thing to see as one walked along west cliff, or even just catching a glimpse from the downtown streets.  By afternoon, much of it had melted away, but the peaks remained covered.  It turned out to be quite a good day to head up to Henry Cowell State Park and walk among the redwoods.  (As reminder, support your state park system. It is an awesome resource)  We even climbed inside of the Fremont Tree.  Literally.   It remains quite cold out there, with the air staying crisp.  Today should warm up a bit more, but we stay in the low 50s.  Wednesday should be the warmest day of the week, reaching into the high 50s.  Get out and enjoy what you can the next few days.  It should be fine walking weather, and even the bike trails are starting to dry out.

We have a slight chance of showers forecasted for this morning; the sky has patchy clouds.  We had a spectacular sunrise this mornings.  The early part of the week looks to remain clear with light breezes and cold nights.  Increasing chance of showers and rain late Thursday into Friday.  Clearing weather forecasted for Saturday, with another fabulous Sunday is in the planning.  All in all, a fair week for a stormy winter period.  Down the road, things could turn quite wet again.

When we look out at the fantasy charts, the following two weeks look to continue with stormy weather, with the second week of March perhaps tapping into some tropical moisture.  If that happens, we will be into another extended wet period.  As we move into the spring months, these extended periods of unsettled weather become less and less common.  It is way to early to say this is the last spell like this for the winter, but come late March, high pressure should return and become more of the norm.  But then again, this winter has been far from normal.

It is not too late to start your own tomato plants.  Love Apple Farm has some great classes, and even a simple to use online tutorial.  I am trying their method of getting the seeds to sprout.  I will have to see how it works.  But bottom line is that now is the time to start working on your spring and summer garden.  Start your planning of what you want to grow.  Get your seeds started for peppers, tomatoes and eggplants so that the plants are strong and ready to go into the ground by April.  Put out some cool weather, short growth plants for a May harvest.  Turn your compost, amend your soil and get ready.  Spring will be here in a blink of the eye.

The surf looks pretty weak over the coming period.  Small swell combined with fair to poor winds does little to inspire.  Combined that with morning air temps around 45F, and it makes one want to stay dry and cozy.  On the other hand, the snow is looking great.  Snow showers continued on Sunday as resorts got back open to 100%.  Cold temperatures and a dusting should keep things in prime condition for the holiday today.  Ski week should be good, with very slight chances of snow early in the week, and a possibility of several feet between Thursday and Saturday.  Even with the late week storm, the weather should be much mellower than last week.  No storm of the winter stuff.  Still, remember to drive and play with caution.

A fair week ahead, even with some rain forecasted for the latter part.  Wednesday perhaps the best day of the week with sun and warmer daytime temps.  Great week for those vacationing on the snow with bluebird conditions the first half of the week.