The End of Summer

The end of summer is upon us here in California...

Remnants of a typhoon from Japan are being pulled across the Pacific Ocean and are forecast to hit California early to mid-next week. Right now the ground is extremely dry, as this state hasn't seen significant rain in five months.

That's about to change.

The National Weather Service is saying that this potentially record-breaking storm is going to dump up to 8-10 inches of rain in places. El Nino was predicted for this year, and it looks like that's what we're gonna get!

Any exciting weather in your part of the world?

The Rain Returns...

The rain has returned here in northern California, with nearly constant precipitation for the past week. To the south, the Santa Cruz Mountains have received over 8 inches of rain in the past 24 hours in some places! Creeks are flowing (in fact, flooding) and the rain just keeps coming. And as for the drought, at least in some places: busted.

Tomatoes on October 30th

Amazingly, I still have ripening tomatoes on my single plant, despite the fact that tomorrow is Halloween. Rain is coming in, and it looks like it's going to be rainy through Monday. Hopefully the tomatoes will still ripen.

It's Raining!

Northern California is officially in the midst of its first rainstorm of the season.

I just went outside and was amazed to see the rain coming down in sheets (not hard sheets, mind you, just light). Everything is wet, the water is tricking down the gutters, and when you walk on the brown grass it doesn't crunch underfoot.

Any other Northern California bloggers out there who are enjoying this rain?

Rain?

Now this is interesting:

"BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT ANOTHER LOW WILL MOVE IN OFF THE EASTERN
PACIFIC POSSIBLY BRINGING SOME LIGHT RAIN..."

This was taken from the National Weather Service. It looks like we just might get our first rain of the season here in northern California.

Mossy Cascade

A very green and mossy cascade in Las Trampas. I hiked to this green cascade in January, 2008.

Las Trampas Waterfall

A rushing waterfall in Las Trampas Regional Park the day of a heavy rainstorm.

Significant Rainstorm Coming Next Year (Well, Next Week, Anyway)

The National Weather Service is saying that a huge storm is coming to California later next week. It looks like we may get several inches of rain, and the Sierra Nevada may get ten feet of snow.

Ten feet.

That's quite a bit of snow.

Hopefully this storm will recharge all the streams, waterfalls, and rivers in Northern California, which will make for some great photo opportunities...

More Rain on the Way...

It looks like the rainy season is finally starting up here in northern California. Tomorrow's forecast predicts up to half an inch of rain in the area!

Rain

Today we got the first rain of the season, and it was enough to make everything wet and clean the air. Here's some moss that greened-up quite quickly once the rain started.

It's Raining..In July!

Incredibly, rain is falling outside my window right now even though we're in the driest part of the year. This may sound kind of odd to you folks not in California, but it's a rarity to have any sort of precipitation here during the summer.

Thunderstorm Over the Sierra

I watched as tiny, harmless-looking clouds grew into this huge thunderstorm.