Weather Update for This Weekend

Hello all!~
If you are planning on going hiking this weekend or early next week, be advised of the special weather report released by the National Weather Service concerning the next few days:

COLD AND RAINY WEATHER PATTERN FOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA... A DEEP LOW PRESSURE TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER THE WEST WILL SEND A SERIES OF WEATHER SYSTEMS INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEK... BRINGING PERIODS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW AT TIMES.

THE FIRST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE THIS WEEKEND AS THE MARINE LAYER RAPIDLY DEEPENS. A BETTER CHANCE OF MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION WILL BE MONDAY AND TUESDAY WHEN A STRONGER STORM MOVES INLAND. COOLER WEATHER WITH PERIODS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT NEXT WEEK.

PRELIMINARY RAINFALL ESTIMATES THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK RANGE FROM ABOUT ONE TO TWO INCHES WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS... TWO TO FOUR INCHES ON THE WEST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES AND UP TO ABOUT AN INCH IN THE DESERTS.

SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT ABOVE 7000 FEET AND THEN LOWER TO ABOUT 4000 TO 5000 FEET MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... ALTHOUGH IT COULD GET LOCALLY LOWER. THERE COULD BE ONE TO TWO FEET OF SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS WITH ABOUT HALF A FOOT IN THE SAN DIEGO MOUNTAINS AND ON THE PEAKS OF THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS. SNOW... BLOWING SNOW AND DENSE FOG WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS DURING THIS PERIOD.

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL INCREASE THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL.

RESIDENTS LIVING IN AND BELOW RECENTLY BURNED AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW. PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS.

(Found at: http://weather.msn.com/bulletin.aspx?wealocations=wc:USCA0573&q=Laguna+Beach%2c+CA+forecast:bulletin)

As always, make sure to check out http://www.ocparks.com/ for any park closures and alerts. Stay tuned!

Still some muddy areas on the trails - Use Caution

Though most trails reopened after the heavy rains on Saturday, 29 November 2008, caution is still to be taken when biking/hiking/riding on OC trails. For further information, contact OC Parks; website: ocparks.com.

OC Parks Still Closed

With all the rain that Orange County recently got, most Orange County parks are still closed. Check up with www.ocparks.com for more information.

And, if you're in the mood for an OC Register article on the same news, read HERE.

Month's worth of Rain in 6 Hours

Take a look at the amount of rain that poured onto Orange County from 9 pm on 25 November to 5 am 26 November, as seen in THIS ARTICLE:

Yorba Linda: 1.93 inches

Huntington Beach: 1.81 inches

Corona del Mar: 1.81 inches

Costa Mesa: 1.85 inches

Westminster: 1.69 inches

Newport Coast: 1.65 inches

Brea-Olinda: 1.57 inches

Laguna Canyon: 1.57 inches

Laguna Beach: 1.54 inches

Irvine: 1.38 inches

Laguna Niguel Lake: 1.38 inches

Villa Park Dam: 1.34 inches

Garden Grove: 1.26 inches

Santa Ana: 1.28 inches

Anaheim: 1.22 inches

San Juan Capistrano: 1.22 inches

El Toro: 1.22 inches

Upper Oso Creek: 1.22 inches

Upper Harding Canyon: 01.10 inches

Upper Silverado Canyon: 1.02 inches

Coto de Caza: 0.91 inches

---> Keep in mind that OC's November Rainfall Average is 1.31 inches!

OC Parks Are Closed Due to Muddy Conditions today.


Also from the OC Register:
What Are Mudslides and What Are Debris Flows?
How to Prepare for Mudslides and Debris Flows After a Fire
How to Stabilize Your Soil and Prevent Erosion

Another MUST READ article on the Rains Tonight!

Click Here for Article on Heavy Orange County Rain Storm Tonight

After the fires, the rains...

The Orange County Register always has important news on the fires/rains in the area. Click on the following link for a good article on the threat of heavy rains in OC's recently burned areas (esp. in Yorba Linda): http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-sandbags-rain-2238999-hillsides-barriers.

From the article, of note, pertaining to Yorba Linda:

According to National Weather Service predictions, a storm currently just off the coast may bring an inch of rain or more to Yorba Linda.

Rain is expected through Thanksgiving Day, said Moore after talking with weather officials. “Our most critical event could be tonight. We're supposed to get the heaviest rain — about 1 1/2 inches — in a six hour period between 10 (p.m.) and 4 (a.m.).”

That sort of rainfall, he said, is almost certain to trigger a mandatory evacuation.

Residents of Orange County have often had to face the threats of mudslides due to heavy rains after devastating fires. Let's all come together as a community and do what we can to help those who are affected by the weather and fire season. Let this also serve as a reminder of our close connection to the Earth and the elements - in our modern age, we cannot separate ourselves completely from nature - it plays a constant role in our lives, whether we want it to or not!

*** On a side note: OC Parks closes the trails once 1/4" (0.25 inches) of rain has fallen, for 48-72 hours. Check http://ocparks.com for more information on park closures.

Nothing like a few rainbows to color your day

Taken by a dear person who will remain anonymous on 04 October 2008 in Aliso Viejo, right after a gentle rain.