Going Zonal!!!

Coastal cypress at Lighthouse Field, Santa Cruz.

Hey folks, gear up for some good old fashion winter zonal flow.  Yup, that is right.  Rain.  Do you remember what that stuff is like.  Obligatory road caution here:  It has been over six weeks with no rain, and oil has again had a chance to build up on our roads.  It will be slippery out there when this stuff starts, and the usual kooks will still be on the road.  Give yourselves ample time  and ample room.  And if you plan to chase after the snow carry chains, water, food and clothes.  And remember that under the fresh snow will be grass, dirt and rock.  Be careful.

So this thing is progressing a bit quicker than it looked yesterday.  And I have a whole lot more confidence that it will move in this fashion.  So, what, is going to happen.  The next few days still look as scheduled, with pleasant weather and continued warmth lasting through Saturday.  By Sunday, we begin to see the first inroads of this change.  For us around the Bay, that mostly means a slight cooling, and perhaps some over riding clouds.  Well to our north, say around Shasta, they could get some like precipitation.  Even more so on Monday.  In the mountains, things look to stay around 30F on Monday.  Mid 50s down on the coast.  And it will get windy over the ridgetops in this time period.  Still, we should see mostly sun down here over the holiday weekend.

Tuesday sees more rain pushing south into the northern fringe of our region.  By evening, areas north of the Bay will likely be experiencing the first bouts of rain showers.  This rain line will continue to move south through the rest of the week.  And it will gain strength.  Thursday seems to be when the brunt of the flow should arrive for us, lasting through about Saturday.  After that it looks like we might get a quick break, before more rain fills back in early the following week.  Over the period of the first few waves, SF should be looking at about one to two inches of rain.  A bit more to the north, and a bit less to the south.  Of course, all of this could shift further north leaving us quite a bit dryer.  We should have a better idea as we move into the weekend.  Still, plan for rain.

Land meets sea along West Cliff Drive.

This week ends great, with mid 60s in Santa Cruz and plenty of sun.  By Sunday, things start to cool into the 50s and even more so on Monday.  Some breezy weather can be expected.  Tuesday we see light rain moving into the region from the north, spreading south over Wednesday.  Heavier rain Thursday through early Saturday and then brief clearing.  Snow for the Sierra.  Check that yard for things left around like it is summertime.  I know the past month plus may have fooled some of you into thinking winter was over (or never really started).  Wind and rain is coming, so clean up that mess and get ready for some weather a bit more typical for late January.  And wax up those skis.