Tag Archive for: Weather

As Phoenix Heats Up, The Night Comes Alive

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.

San Diego Area Warming Up With Heat Advisory Scheduled For Wednesday

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Get Ready for the First Summer Heat Wave in San Diego

The National Weather Service office in San Diego is forecasting the first summer heat wave for the end of this week, with inland temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal.

A Drier Future Sets The Stage For More Wildfires

November 8, 2018 was a dry day in Butte County, California. The state was in its sixth consecutive year of drought, and the county had not had a rainfall event producing more than a half inch of rain for seven months. The dry summer had parched the spring vegetation, and the strong northeasterly winds of autumn were gusting at 35 miles per hour and rising, creating red flag conditions: Any planned or unplanned fires could quickly get out of control.

Scripps Study Finds Climate Change Will Cause Wet and Dry Extremes In California

A study led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggests that a new pattern of wet and dry extremes is emerging in California with extreme precipitation caused by streams of moisture in the sky known as atmospheric rivers.

Records Set As California’s Water Year Comes To A Close

The 2018-19 California water year will close with some good and some great news. June 30, 2019, marks the end of the California water year, which began July 1, 2018. The water year got off to a slow start, but then ramped up around January and February throughout California. In particular, the Sierra Nevada mountains saw a big increase in snow during February. The snowpack is an important part of the California water cycle, serving as our above ground savings account for water. During the warmer months, this snow melts providing water downstream to the rest of the state.

Make Room For More June Gloom

Summer heat is coming. Eventually. But for the next few days, cool, cloudy and perhaps drippy weather is in store for much of San Diego County. June gloom will get gloomier.
A trough of low pressure moving over the West Coast is expected to beef up the marine layer Thursday through Saturday. The coast should see little or no clearing on Friday, and light rain or drizzle is possible during the morning from the beaches to the mountains. Strong winds are expected in the mountains and desert, where gusts could reach 50 mph this afternoon and Friday afternoon. Blowing dust could reduce visibility in the desert.