From the “weather is not climate” department, I’m getting reports this morning of snow down to 2500 feet in Forest Ranch, CA a few miles from where I live. This is not surprising, give the cold storm coming through at the moment. The lateness of the storm and the low snow levels may surprise some people.
It is quite cold in the Sierra right now, with higher elevations having temps in the high teens and twenties, even at 11AM. Here is a screencap of this MESONET interactive map:
I recall in 1993, after Pinatubo, how we had snow in the Sierra in the first week of June.
Dr. John Christy wrote yesterday of the southern Sierra Nevada forecast discussion which he thought was unusual:
Anthony:
I was born and raised in Fresno County in 1950s- early 1970s where I developed my climate passion (well before global warming issues). You don’t see winter storm warnings for the Southern Sierras in mid-May too often. It’s not like they haven’t had enough snow this season.
John C.
000 FXUS66 KHNX 142145 AFDHNXAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 245 PM PDT SAT MAY 14 2011 .... CURRENT TIMING INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA MAY BE NEAR MIDNIGHT WITH THE BULK OF THE PRECIP CLOSER TO 5 AM PDT ON SUNDAY. WITH THIS TIMING...PUSHED THE ONSET OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING CLOSER TO 5 AM PDT WHEN THE COLD POOL BEGINS TO PUSH INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WHILE SHORT RANGE MODELS PROG SNOW LEVEL NEAR 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT...BEST DYNAMICS ALONG WITH GOOD OROGRAPHIC LIFT MAY ALLOW FOR 6 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW SNOW ABOVE 6000 FEET. THEREFORE...WILL UPGRADE THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON TO A WARNING AND START IT AFTER 5 AM PDT ON SUNDAY. ...
Looks like more is headed our way:
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Woke up this morning to what looked like about an .5 inch of snow at 2400′ in Grass Valley, Ca.
The trough out West will be to my benefit here in the Minneapolis area this week as the omega-like block sets up. Gradually warming through the 70s to near 80F by next weekend after our last run at frost in the outlying areas tonight. Metro area should only reach about 40F though. Trees leafed out about 1 week later than average but last year we saw them leaf out in early to mid April which was about 2-3 weeks earlier than average….you take the two years and divide by two and we’re running perfectly average over the past 2yrs as far as greenup goes! Sunny, breezy fresh 64F here right now…sorry CA but we usually benefit here when the trof is out West.
It looks like the other Sierra Nevada in Europe got a record snow year, undoubtly must be due to climate change: http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/snowreports/historical/snowreport.aspx/Sierra-Nevada
Tall plumes of smoke noted in northern Alberta on vis satellite right now….big forest fires beneath the blocking, dry upper high.
It’s still near 50 degrees and partial sunshine here on the Eastern side of the Sierra in the Carson Valley area. Fortunately we know better than to acknowledge spring until after “Carson Valley Days” which is always celebrated on the 2nd weekend of June. After that date you’re probably ok to take your tomato plants outside without too much fear of a killing frost.
A large dark cell is now sliding down off the top of Job’s Peak and I suspect by morning I’ll need to get my chainsaw out to remove all the damaged limbs from the leafed out trees that will succumb to an excessive snow load. Not all that unusual for a northern Nevada “Sprinter”!
Shanghi, we had 86.6″ of snow in Minneapolis/St.Paul this season….3rd snowiest on record with two brutal blizzards plus one of the longest stretches of consistent snow cover (1″ or more on ground) in history.
In Los Angeles, we caught the southern end of this front with brief but intense rainfall this morning, the latest rain I can remember in my25 years here. Now we are having one of those beautiful post-frontal days here, the kind you see on picture post cards of the city, as we typically get in February.
It’s almost summer! But I forgot that a warmer climate means more snow. I also forgot that a warmer climate means less snow.
How was the snow in the last 3 winters?
From failure to failure. When are these idiots going to give up?
The theory of Warmcold says:
Winters maybe warmer
Winters maybe colder
Are you on facebook at all? I enjoy your blog and comments so much that I would love to see you in my news reel making comments. Let me know. Thanks! I think you would have a ton of fan following. 🙂
There’s been local talk of some Colorado Ski areas re-opening for Memorial Day. The snow pack in many places is 150 percent of normal. It’s rainy here today in Colorado Springs with snow this past week on the higher elevations around town and more rain/snow predicted for midweek. My furnace has been coming on and off all day.
Ugh! I’m ready for some global warming here.
Stage 1 Tour of california bike race at lake Tahoe cancelled for snow today.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-california-stage-1-cancelled
Gore Effect In Denver
http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/gore-effect-in-denver/
Where’s that liar Al Gore?
‘Canberra plummeted to a bone shaking -6.9 degrees overnight, making it the coldest night this early in the year on record.
http://falfn.com/CrusaderRabbit/?p=6236
A-basin rarely closes until the end of May anyway, and they certainly are not closed yet. The “weekend” thing is for after their expected close date. People are still skiing it because it is still open…
We keep getting crapped on in Colorado. It just won’t quit. Not enough snow to do anything fun in, just a mess and too cold to to get out unless you’re skiing. I want to CAMP! 🙁
Mark
Oh, and I should note that it is very hard for resorts to open after their official close date. They (apparently) purchase insurance at the beginning of the year with an expected close date. They send everyone home after they’re done, and the insurance has run its course, making reopening difficult. If Breckenridge had known that it would be tipping the charts with 519″ and more snow on the way the day they closed, I’d be willing to be they would have bought more time.
Mark
The leaves are just starting to come out here in Minneapolis. They are two weeks late when compared to the last 20 years.
Keep Smiling 🙂
Jeff
RE: “weather is not climate”
… except when the AGW believers use it as “proof” of Man Made Global Warming. 😉
I really wish we could get a piece of that action here in the east. Back in the 80s, I clearly remember the mountains of NC (Boone/Blowing Rock area) occasionally getting snow in May, and the very rare freak flurry in June. The Christmas trees love it, the corn not so much.
Mark, when I lived in Colorado winter camping was the way to go. That was in the cold early 1970’s. No crowds, no anything but nice dry cold sunny conditions. Hot chocolate and bacon is all you need to live on. Find a dry bluff that gets sun all day and enjoy the isolation, the quiet, the lack of Honda generators and no boom boxes. … no whining. 🙂
Oh so slowly the climate changes with the lack of sunspot activity. Topography begins to turn from north to south. The question is, “Will it be gradual or will it accellerate?
New England hasn’t been extremely cool – yet.
Here in New Hampshire we generally have had a few 80+ days by now.
Let’s see, from my records:
I don’t like hot weather, so I’m not complaining. A lot of other
people are.
We live in Southwest Washington, and we are a month behind in planting. Early start peas died off due to frost (we had frost just a few days ago) and we are still building fires morning and evening in our wood stove. Normally we might build one fire a week or two in May (our home is VERY well insulated).
These last couple years remind me of what the weather used to be like 30 years ago when I was 10.
But…gotta remember, weather isn’t climate! Oh wait, no this just proves man-caused climate change…no..warming….ummm….(checking latest buzzword listing…)…DISRUPTION! Thats it! Man-caused global climate disruption.
I’m in the middle of Calaveras County at 2500′. It was 32 F this morning with 1/4″ of snow on the roof. A friend 5 miles north of here at 2800′ reported 3″ of snow. Another friend in Arnold reported nearly a foot of snow at 4100′. The high at my home was just 48 F.
Hey Pamela, would you trade some bats for some flying squirrels? No bats here yet, in the cold rain forests around Dogpatch. Bet they’ve had a time keeping dry in their caves.
Record low Maximums today:
Redding, CA 50F, previous low Max -56 – 1908
Red Bluff, CA 56F, previous low Max – 56 – 1925
Sacramento, CA 53F, previous low Max – 58 – 1925
Weaverville, CA 46F, previous low Max – 52 – 1917
Here was a kind of an amazing temperature record set in nearby Billings, Montana this year, with 117 days in a row that got below 40 degrees: http://www.ktvq.com/news/billings-sets-record-for-chilly-mornings/ Our trees are just starting to bud here at 4000 feet elevation southwest of Billings.