Changing Patterns

Sorry.  Family visiting has kept me busy.  Gorgeous out there this morning with just the right amount of cloud cover to make the sunrise pop.  Slight chance for some more showers today.  It rained down south just north of LA yesterday.  Mudslides resulted.  We had some rain in the very early morning hours of Thursday, and a very brief sprinkle this morning before 7AM.  This weather was driven by a low pressure system that came in from under the dominant high pressure and centered near Point Conception and then moved ashore.  Today is a transition day, as high pressure tries to reassert itself, only to be squashed by a system coming down from the north.  NWS is forecasting a decent chance for showers Saturday morning, but the GFS suggests that the rain will remain north of here in the morning, and shift to our east in the afternoon.  So, while the north coast and the Sierra might see some rain (and decent amounts at that), it does not look like the light showers will get south of SF.  So, I suspect that Saturday will feel much like today.  Cooler, with an afternoon high in the low 70s.  Warmest when the sun is out.  Sunday will be a day of clearing and drying.  By Monday we will see some warming back through the mid 70s, and lifting to a peak mid week of about 80F.  The nights will clear back up as well, and we will see a return to the pattern we had until this past Wednesday.  Perfect, autumnal weather.  And speaking of fall, the swells have been arriving.

An October turn at Steamers.

The O'neil Coldwater Classic begins today at the Lane.  Should be fun with fun but meager fading swell today to get through the trials.  By Saturday afternoon we should begin to see the first of the next northwesterly swell that could bring overhead waves to town on Sunday.  That would make for some nice conditions for the finals.  That swell will peak on Monday and fade through the week.  We see more southerly swells on the way too.  Things have really picked up recently, which has made everyone breath a little better.  If you are not getting in the water, but want to see a show, head tot he Lane on Sunday.  You should see the contest finals and the a local free surf session.  And with still some moisture in the air, the sunsets should still be going off.