Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Lynn, Laguna Beach on December 20, 2010:

If you think what you've got now is BAD, wait till you got what's blowing our California socks off tonight (12-20-10). The heavens scoff at our Erosion and Sediment Control Best Management Practices....

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Well, they always have.... -rc

Posted by Carol in Colorado Springs on December 20, 2010:

Wow -- you've had more than 13" of rain this year? Over here we've only had about 9.6. We got the wind, too -- not fun.

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It varies around the county (which is 550 square miles), but yes, 12-13", including snowmelt, is typical here. -rc

Posted by Rita in Michigan on December 20, 2010:

The Weather Service could have said "biblical proportions", which would have been fitting at this time of year! But that means you probably won't be able to see the lunar eclipse tonight. Pity. It's the first time in over 600 years that a total lunar eclipse has coincided with the winter solstice and the Ursids meteor shower.

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Yep, we're totally out of luck for skywatching tonight, and probably for the rest of the week at minimum. During the last total lunar eclipse, though, I was parked in a hot spring and enjoyed it thoroughly! -rc

Posted by Malcolm, Durango, CO on December 20, 2010:

We're a bit south of you but the conditions are similar. Right now I'm hoping for just rain whilst I travel from Durango and back over the Holidays! After that, bring on the snow!

Posted by Lynda-Marie, Auburn WA on December 20, 2010:

I want to start a letter writing campaign to the local TV stations and tell them to fire those pretty weather reporters, and just hire some cranky oldster with bad joints.

CRACK! "Yep, we're gonna get rain. Don't know when or how much, but we'll be gettin' it. My trick knee here advertises for Rice Krispies every time it rains."

Posted by Valerie, Port Orford, Oregon on December 21, 2010:

You think 34mph wind is something? And 13" of rain? That would hardly be noticable here in the westernmost city in the lower 48 states.

According to the Dec. 20 report from our local weather buff, Deboyd Smith, we had 2.50" of rain in the last 24 hours, 10.90" for the month, 37.60" for the season and 117.22" year to date. (Our average is supposed to be about 120" per year but we've had a drought for most of the last 20 years though it looks like we are finally breaking out of it.)

Our high wind was only 17mph which is considered a dead calm day around here. Winter storms often have gusts in town in the 70mph range. Legend has it that the peak wind recorded locally at Cape Blanco was 172mph and that was when the annemometer blew off. I can't vouch for it personally but I've lived here 20 years and I can easily believe it.

Of course, this area is built to take it. If it weren't, we'd all have blown away long ago. Even as it is, there are occasional problems with siding or roofs. People and groups come to this area in the winter both for the fishing and to experience our storms. They're pretty special. We don't usually get much thunder and lightning but for some reason we've had quite a bit of it this past week. Guess the weather patterns are shifting.

Enjoy your Colorado mini-storm! It's a good time of year to just sit around for a bit looking out the windows.

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You live in a rain belt; we live in a desert. It's not the amount of rain that's of issue, but rather it's raining instead of snowing. And the 33 mph wind is average -- for 48 hours straight -- with 50 mph gusts. Sure there are windier places. It's unusual for here. -rc

Posted by Rich, Alta Loma on December 21, 2010:

Check out the wunderground for your old SoCal stomping grounds -- in this last Pineapple Express storm: 9.8" @ 23rd & Mountain in Upland, CA. (For those not familiar with Southern California weather: that is over half of our annual amount in one 5-day period! And as Yogi said "It ain't over till it's over.")

Looks like we wrung about an inch out of your snowfall!

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Well, a good rule of thumb is an inch of rain translates to about a foot of snow, so maybe our epic storm dumped everything on Upland (the location Rich notes is approximately where I lived for several years). We still don't even have a dusting of snow here. -rc

Posted by Tom (Los Angeles) on December 21, 2010:

I dunno ... I'm unimpressed. I remember when I first moved to Boulder living on Shanahan Ridge. I remember asking Amy "Why do these houses have metal shutters?

Well, we found out. 70-90 MPH was not at all uncommon.

But in the snow department -- what happened? Did you get slammed?

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So far, it looks like it's going to be a brown Christmas. Film at 11. -rc

Posted by John, Mesa, AZ on December 22, 2010:

Looks like someone over at the weather bureau has been watching "Bull Durham".

Posted by Assistant Becky on December 22, 2010:

On the other hand, Crested Butte is reporting 5 ft of new snow since Sunday, and Silverton is reporting almost 6 feet, but Telluride has just less than two feet of new in the last 7 days. Epic proportions appear to be focused more south and east.

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Frankly, I don't see a ski resort getting 5' of snow from a December storm anywhere near "epic". Maybe "typical" would be a better word? Especially when I've been going out without a jacket.... -rc