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‘Historic’ Winter Storm Dumps 3 Feet of Snow, Smashes Records in West

/in , , /by /USA Todayby John Bacon

One week after summer’s end, a “winter” storm began blasting parts of the West with up to 3 feet of snow, smashing records with low temperatures, heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions forecast into Monday.

Snow was piling up across parts of California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. The National Weather Service, calling the storm “historic,” said temperatures in some areas would drop as much as 30 degrees below normal.

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The First Rain of the Season Arrives in LA. But Don’t Get Excited – It’s Just a Drizzle

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Alexandra Reyes-Velarde

Dust off your windshield wipers, L.A. The first rain of the season dripped from the skies Thursday morning, sprinkling morning commuters.

Extreme fire warnings across California have officially expired, thanks to a slight chance of light rain through Saturday, with low clouds and much cooler temperatures than in the last few days, said Tom Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

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Here’s How Much Rain Fell Across San Diego County Before Dawn On Thursday

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Gary Robbins

Here are local rainfall totals for the 24-hour period ending at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. The National Weather Service says that isolated rain and thunderstorms could occur today in the mountains and deserts.

Forecasters also report that there were 17 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the county late Wednesday and early Thursday, and 30 lightning flashes. Virtually all of the activity occurred in the mountains and deserts.

A cooling trend will continue throughout San Diego County and last into the weekend. Thursday’s high in San Diego will be 73. The high on Sunday will be 68, about seven degrees below average.

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Another Day Of Dry, Gusty Fire Weather Ahead For San Diego Region

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Dry conditions and gusty winds will increase the danger of fire in San Diego County on Tuesday, according to the local office of the National Weather Service.

A trough of low pressure moving in from the north will bring cooler temperatures throughout the workweek, but will also bring gusty winds blowing to the west, meteorologist Bruno Rodriguez said.

Humidity levels will drop to between 10% to 15% in the San Diego County mountains and deserts, forecasters said. Wind gusts could reach 35 mph in those two areas

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Another Hot, Muggy Day In Store For San Diego County

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Hot and muggy conditions are expected in most parts of San Diego County Tuesday and thunderstorms will be possible in the mountains and deserts.

A high-pressure system lingering over southern California will create a chance of thunderstorms in those two areas each afternoon through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego.

The chance of measurable precipitation is 40 percent in the mountains and 20 percent in the deserts.

Monsoonal moisture will remain in the region until Friday, when the high pressure system is expected to weaken and temperatures will drop through the weekend, forecasters said.

 

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As Phoenix Heats Up, The Night Comes Alive

/in , /by /The New York Timesby Marguerite Holloway

Dozens of hikers set out for the summit of Piestewa Peak on a July evening, their flashlights dancing in the dark. “You feeling O.K.?” Trevor Plautz, a park ranger, asked two women, one of whom had stumbled and was breathing hard. “You have enough water?” Both soon turned back, moving slowly down unlit rocky switchbacks. An owl chittered. “You definitely feel the heat, but the nights are better,” Mr. Plautz said. “A lot of people hike right now instead of during the day because it is a lot cooler.” Phoenix, which had 128 days at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit last year, is one of the hottest and fastest-warming cities in the United States.

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San Diego Area Warming Up With Heat Advisory Scheduled For Wednesday

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

A hot spell will bring warm temperatures Tuesday throughout San Diego County, with even hotter temperatures expected in the deserts in the next few days. A high pressure system moving in from Texas will bring a rise in temperatures through Wednesday in coastal and inland valley areas and through Thursday in the county mountains and deserts, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service issued an excessive heat warning that will last from 11 a.m. Wednesday through 9 p.m. Thursday for desert areas. A heat advisory will also be in effect during that same time period for the inland valleys, including El Cajon, Santee and Escondido.

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Faster Water Cycle Brings Worries Of Increased Drought And Flooding In The United States

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Ron Brackett

New calculations of changes in the water cycle over the United States pinpoint several areas that could become increasingly dry over the next few decades, a new study says. They also showed areas that could see more flooding.

The water cycle is the movement of water on the planet — from falling as precipitation, such as rain, ice or snow, to being absorbed in the soil or flowing into groundwater and streams and then being evaporated to start all over again.

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It’s Not Your Imagination — Humidity Is Getting Worse In San Diego

/in , , /by /KPBSby John Carroll

It’s part of the reason so many of us love living here so much, the beautiful sunny weather. But inject humidity into the picture and the sunny becomes sticky. That’s when what meteorologists call the “heat index” comes into play. Some people call it the “real feel” temperature.

But are we really feeling more humid weather in San Diego over the last several years?

Meteorologists at the local National Weather Service office in Rancho Bernardo said yes. “In recent years, it has definitely been more humid than normal,” said meteorologist Brandt Maxwell.

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High-Time Flooding Poses Big Problem for US, Federal Scientists Warn

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

The nation’s coasts were hit with increased tidal flooding over the past year, part of a costly and perilous trend that will only worsen as sea levels continue to rise, federal scientists warned Wednesday.

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