Over Achievers.

We have had two this year.  Just a guess, but I supposes the storm from past few days had a Tiger Mom.  It just kept on giving its best.  Things looked pretty nice by 9AM Monday morning, and it really looked like this thing was clearing east earlier, but instead it was just wrapping up along the coast and driving into the Sierra.  Areas on the crest north of Tahoe are reporting nearly 30 inches of snow from this system.  Kirkwood is reporting 10 inches.  My very rudimentary rain gauge is reporting about an inch of rain in my yard, and quite a bit more fell in the Santa Cruz mountains.  Not a bad start to the water year (Septembers rain fall fell in last year's water calendar).  And a few of the creeks broke though the beaches over the past two days and started running again.  Makes it feel like winter almost.  But this is a forecast page, so let us look at the next few days.  Should improve a bit.

Splash Zone, 4 Mile Beach, Santa Cruz.

Tonight the interior valleys have a frost warning.  We don't quite need to worry about that, but it will be crisp first thing, as the air is cold, and the stars are out.  Low 40s along the coast, and mid to upper 30s as you move up into the local hills.  Things will slowly warm up, with sun and mostly calm wind.  Still, it won't get too warm tomorrow, maybe reaching the 65F.  Thursday and Friday see each a bit warmer than the previous day, with a decent chance of hitting 70F in the Costco parking lot before the work week finishes.  Saturday again looks quite pleasant.  Light winds during the period as well.  Nights will be cool in the low to mid 40s.  So you might want to choose a Halloween costume that keeps you warm, as opposed to bares your flesh.  Think "sexy for a werewolf," as in keeping it fury.  After Saturday we begin to see the effects of another system that will be coming into the coast up in the PNW.

All models are currently keeping this next system, or at least its rain, to our north.  Keep in mind two things.  This storm is still more than 72 hours away, and it is a cut off system.  A lot can change in its tract.  Currently we are only expecting a return to cooler air, with day time highs in the low 60s and night time lows in the low 40s.  No much in the way of clouds either, but we could see a strong onshore flow develop as the cold front moves through our area.  The long term keeps suggesting a wet period around the 10th, so keep that in mind while working on projects and making plans.  I'm now hoping to have my yard work mostly wrapped up for the season by then.  I was shooting for Thanksgiving, but if it is going to get wet, I'd prefer to move to the inside work.  Or maybe go for a ski.

Oh yeah, clean out those gutters and get an extra hour of sleep in Saturday night.