Pack Your Bags for the Pineapple Express.

That would mean to say that more rain is a coming.  This time a bit warmer and a bit wetter.  Yup, wetter rain, and much wetter snow.  If you had a chance to even kick around a bit of snow this past weekend up in the Sierra, you would know what I mean.  It was fluff, blower, smoke.  The snowpack reached down below 4000 feet.  And there was over a foot on the ground when I went by the tomato hothouses in Pioneer.  Now that looked odd, yet explains the paltry appearance of the local fruit in the stores this weekend.  But times are a changing.  Warmer times are a coming.


Today should start fair, with mostly sunny skies.  Similar to yesterday, perhaps starting off a bit clearer.  Clouds may starting filling in through the afternoon and will certainly begin to take over the sky by late Tuesday.  Highs moderate in the mid to high 50s.  Rain fills in overnight, and should be heavy by Wednesday morning.  A little cooler in the mid 50s (but certainly not cold like it has been the past few storms) and wet all day long.  Showers moderate late Wednesday, but Thursday is to remain showery.  Stars should begin to show by early morning Friday, with a nice warm day on tap.  We should be hitting 60F around the Bay on Saturday.  But it will be a short break, as another wet tap system is going to arrive later on Saturday.

We have a convergence of the northern and southern branch of the jet stream happening.  Warm and moist air streaming across the tropical Pacific is merging with colder arctic air to make these storms.  While the cold moving in from the north chills the air enough to make snow at higher elevations, they are to remain quite warm.  For better or for worse, the snow level should remain at or near lake level (Lake Tahoe 6200').  But, these systems are also carrying a lot of moisture.  1/2" of precipitation expected around SF, with up to an inch just north in Marin.  Two inches expected in the Sierra, and even with wetter heavier snow, we are talking one to two feet, especially at higher elevations along the crest.  Snow levels starting as high as 7000 feet and lowering overnight to 5000 feet.  Regardless, this will be a bit up pineapple upside down cake, with denser snow falling on several feet of low density snow.  Too bad, as the current snow is simply awesome (and stable).

While hiking at 9000 feet Saturday I suddenly recalled that I did not bring my lettuce seedlings in overnight before the rains and cold started.  I was horrified as I was sure they had frozen overnight at sea level.  When I got home I was shocked to see that not only were they alive, but they looked to be flourishing.  I've since kept them outside to finish the hardening off period.  Still looking good.  While morning temperatures have been chilly the last few days, it has not been quite cold enough to frost lettuce in my backyard.  This is good news for spring plantings as well as the vegetable and fruit market. Surprisingly, Wattsonville hothoused strawberries are beginning to show at the market. And there are rumors that January's and early February's fine fine weather have jumped started regular strawberry production.  Before we make a call, we will need to see what the ramifications of 10 days of cold weather will be.  Still, the growing year is going well.  Plenty of water and plenty of warmth so far.  All my plants are looking pretty happy including the broccoli, Brussels, fava, peas, chard, choy and the odd thorny tomato like plant.

Water is also looking good.  Reports come out in the next few days.  Snow pack is looking good.  We have reached about 100% of annual snow fall averages for the Tahoe resorts.  Lexington is on the rebound, but can still accept a lot more water.  But it may even have some snow still to melt off in the shadows of the surrounding hills.  Hopefully this water years remains above average to we can combat a bit of the effects of our recent drought.  We will report here.

Sunny today and Tuesday early.  Rain for Wednesday; showers on Thursday.  Fair and warm Friday and Saturday.  Wet again by Sunday.  And this will be the pattern through mid March.  Currently we are in a warm flow.