Weather News

[RobertW]

[mtman]

Can someone please offer a definition of a "Water Dog" when referring to a weather term.

[Wrightwood]

This information regarding water dogs was emailed by a forum visitor.

A water dog is a term used by the fire lookouts and, presumably, others in the profession, to describe a cloud that looks like smoke.

When you are in the tower looking down in valleys and, especially campgrounds, very early in the morning, you might see a cloud that looks like a "smoke". But it is formed by water condensing during the night and hanging above the valley, but lower than the peaks.

[BikingBrian]

I'm at 5800 feet and found a small dusting on the picnic table and parts of the roof.    Is there really that much difference between the higher and lower parts of town  in the middle of winter?  We had looked at some homes over by Cardinal but were concerned about accessibility with the highway being the only way in/out.

[Ensen]

I think there is.  I've often seen Wrightwood buried but just 5 minutes down hwy 2, they got nothing.  Only a few hundred feet difference.

[Wrightwood]

There is a big difference. When member Tall Trees gives rain totals from the county line they are always more than the Heath Creek wash area.

[RobertW]

For an up-to-date graph showing the "POPs" (Percentage Of Precipitation) for Wrightwood, click on the following link:

AccuWeather's AccuPOP for Wrightwood, CA

[North_Star]

[RobertW]

North_Star,

I'm curious as to what type of Weather Station you have and what software do you use.

Thanks for the post!

[North_Star]

Davis Vantage Pro wireless
Weatherlink

[RobertW]

[Wrightwood]

[RobertW]

[RobertW]

Batton down the hatches and be carefull out there.  This coming storm continues to look like it could be a very big soaker:

OVERALL RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN TWO AND FIVE INCHES
ACROSS COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS...WITH FIVE TO TEN INCHES COMMON
ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS. LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO TWELVE
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAVORABLE SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF
THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH
(LAXFFALOX) AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (LAXSPSLOX) FOR THE LATEST
ON RAINFALL TOTALS AND POTENTIAL FLOODING CONCERNS.

IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT...THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY PACK
POWERFUL WINDS. A STRONG SOUTHEAST TO EAST GRADIENT FORMS OUT AHEAD
OF THE COLD FRONT FROM SBA TO LA COUNTY ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.
WITH EXCELLENT UPPER LEVEL WIND SUPPORT MENTIONED ABOVE (50 TO 60
KNOTS AT 850 MB)...LOOK FOR WIDESPREAD WINDS ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. THE MOUNTAINS WILL TAKE THE BRUNT OF THIS WIND EVENT...AND
HAVE ISSUED HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WATCHES ACCORDINGLY...WHERE
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OVER 70 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE.

[Nolena]

Hmmm. Looks a dusting of "above 8,000 feet" out there. 

[RobertW]

Latest from the National Weather Service:

LATEST 12Z MESO-ETA SOLUTION CONTINUING TO PROG VERY STRONG JET
DYNAMICS WITH ASSOCIATED STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS...EXTENDING INTO TUESDAY MORNING. MODEL CROSS SECTIONS
SHOWING VERY IMPRESSIVE UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION AND OROGRAPHIC WIND
SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD FROM THE LA BASIN TO POINT CONCEPTION
AREA. AT THE SAME TIME...ATMOSPHERE BEGINS TO DESTABILIZE...WITH
LIFTED INDICES PROGGED TO DROP TO 0 TO -4 OFF THE COAST OF LA/VTU
COUNTIES. WITH ALL OF THIS IN MIND...SYNOPTIC INGREDIENTS COMING
TOGETHER FOR CONSIDERABLE EMBEDDED CONVECTION WITH THE FRONTAL BAND
LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING. THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL RATES...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...WATERSPOUTS...
AND CANNOT EVEN RULE OUT POSSIBILITY OF SMALL TORNADOES. WILL BE
ISSUING SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (LAXSPSLOX) SHORTLY TO EMPHASIZE
THESE THREATS.

OTHER MAJOR CONCERN WITH THIS EVENT CONTINUES TO BE STRONG WINDS.
WIND ADVISORIES ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SLO...SBA...VENTURA
COUNTIES...WITH HIGH WIND WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS.
ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGING WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE WIND
GUSTS OVER 70 MPH WILL BE LIKELY...EVEN IN THE SANTA MONICA RANGE.
STRONGEST PRESSURE GRADIENT IN THIS EVENT WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS THE
INNER WATERS...WHERE GALE WARNINGS ARE ALSO IN EFFECT. PLEASE SEE
THE LATEST LAXNPWLOX PRODUCT FOR THE LATEST ON THE WIND SITUATION.

ONE MORE WRINKLE WITH THIS EVENT WILL BE SNOW LEVELS. WHILE SOUTH TO
SOUTHEAST FLOW IS EXPECTED TO KEEP SNOW LEVELS AROUND 7000 FEET
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH FACING SLOPES...NORTH FACING
SLOPES WILL SEE SOME COLDER AIR ENTRAINED FROM THE EAST. AS A RESULT...
HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR LOWER SNOW LEVELS IN MORNING UPDATE ACROSS INTERIOR
SLOPES. FOR AFTERNOON PACKAGE...MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER A WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY OR WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...STAY TUNED.

[RobertW]

[Freighthauler]

Cool site, Robert. Thanks 

[artology]

Wow! That's a weather report on steroids! The water vapor image is very cool (no pun intended).