Just in case you live under a rock, it is damn nice outside. Damn nice.

So, not a whole lot to report on today.  Forecast has been holding true the last few weeks.  It feels kind of good to look at models and feel they have some accuracy.  What does not feel awesome is the lack of rain in the forecast.  While the past few weeks felt wintery, it was not nearly enough to solve our water issues.  Drought levels are now hovering around 'extreme', down a bit from 'exceptional.'  So, we did make a dent, but just a dent.  Please be conscientious of your water use in the coming year.  As an El Nino continues to develop, I feel hopeful for a very wet winter next season.  Now, all this talk of dry weather does not mean we will not see more this year, but there is no sign of a wet hose pointed at California in the coming month.  Just some slight chances of wetter weather by months end.

Wanna kiss a sea lion.  Head to the Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz.

Now the forecast.  Super nice out there right now, and warming up nicely into the mid 70s.  In the sunny, breeze protected and paved parts of town we could easily see temps reaching up into the low 80s.  For like ten minutes or so.  Point is, it is quite warm out there.  Up in the Sierra, the snow will be corning up nicely on east, south and west facing slopes as the sun hits them.  North facing slopes will soften less.  60F at lake level, and low 50s in the mountains.  All in all, some great spring skiing conditions.  My son and I were out yesterday and he had his biggest day yet.  The weather was perfect for the young ones and learners.  Kind of nice not being cold on the hill.  Back here on the coast things are not boring either as decent surf continues from last week, with a new round of swell arriving mid day Sunday boosting heights back into the over head range.  For March, things look great.  Still, a decent sea breeze is expected int he afternoon.

If you are a gardener, this will be a great weekend to get out and prepare your planting beds.  Our winter garden is looking great right now, producing too much lettuce and kale.  You can't ever get too many peas, but we are close, and the Brussels sprouts are beginning to set on the stalk.  As are the fava beans.  If you like to gamble a bit, it might be worth getting a zuke in the ground.  In my mind, it is still a bit early for the real tender plants like cukes and tomatoes.  Right now, the weather looks fine, but it is still technically winter, and we could see cooler weather through months end, and if it gets too cold, those plants will stunt and fail.

Speaking of cooler weather, Monday we will drop back to around 70F for a high, and by Thursday we will drop further into the upper 60s.  The chances of rain are looking slimmer, as the high pressure will not shift far enough west to allow storms to drive down the coast.  Forecast models continue to suggest a shift in about 10 days.  We've heard that before.  Still, will keep an eye on things and my fingers are crossed for more snow and rain.  Lord knows we need it.  Super nice this weekend, sun through the week, with some slight cooling through next weekend.  Maybe rain by the following Tuesday (25th).