Category Archives: weather

nature, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, weather, weather|southern california

Winter Oaks, Summer Temps

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Valley oaks and clouds near sunset

These valley oaks have dropped their leaves, but if you were to go by the warm temperatures we’ve been having in Southern California, you might think it was Summer.

Including today, the high temperature at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California has reached into the 80s each of the last six days. High temperature records for December 31 – January 5 have been broken at several locations. Among the records broken, yesterday San Gabriel recorded a high of 91, Camarillo 90, and UCLA 89.

It sounds sweltering, and it can be if you’re in full sun, but it’s not like a 90 degree day in July. Days are short, shadows long, and some north-facing slopes never see the sun. And it does cool down quickly. If you take a look at the overnight lows on those six 80+ days at Pierce College, you’ll see the temperature dropped to around 40-42 degrees.

On my run Tuesday afternoon, when the photograph of the valley oaks was taken, the temperature varied by as much as 20-25 degrees between some high and low points.

It has been great weather for running, but I’m ready for a change in the pattern and a little rain!

nature, nature|clouds, nature|weather, photography, running, weather, weather|southern california

A Few Clouds with Isolated Virga Near 20,000 Feet

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Round-bottom clouds

Spotted these unusual clouds while running in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve today. Better known as Ahmanson Ranch, the open space area is on the western margin of the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles.

The clouds were strikingly similar to clouds I’d photographed last January following the development and dissipation of a band of mid-level mammatus clouds over the San Fernando Valley. As before, the clouds were round-bottomed and were ragged with virga.

Upper air charts and model analyses indicated the clouds were at an altitude of about 20K-25K, and were associated with a very small scale upper level disturbance.

Here’s a wider view of the clouds.

Related post: Mammatus Clouds Over the San Fernando Valley, More posts…

nature, photography, photography|landscape, trails, trails|smmc open space, weather, weather|southern california

Boney Mountain Views

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This morning did the Boney Mountain north side loop with Tom and Elisa, who were visiting from Idaho.

Thanks to a moderate offshore flow, visibility from the high point at the top of the ridge (2900’+) was spectacular.

Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island loomed nearby, their eastern shores only 25 to 30 miles away. To the left of Exchange Peak and about 50 miles distant, the low silhouette of Catalina seemed to hover above the shimmering ocean. A little more to the east and about 40 miles away, Palos Verdes Peninsula jutted from behind Sandstone Peak and into the Pacific.

To the north and northeast Hines Peak (27 miles) and Cobblestone Mountain (33 miles) were prominent. A little further to the east and across I-5 Liebre Mountain and Burnt Peak (44 miles) could be seen.

Many of the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains were easily seen, including Mt. Baldy about 75 miles to the east.

The distance winner was Mt. San Jacinto, a hard to see smudge in the haze on the eastern horizon, about 130 miles away.

nature, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, running|races, trails, trails|sierra, weather, weather|southern california

Whiskey Flat Trail Burger Run 2011

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Kern River near the finish of the 2011 Burger Run

The Burger Run is one of those runs that is much more difficult than its 14.5 miles and 2000′ of elevation gain would suggest. For one thing the Whiskey Flat Trail ain’t no namby-pamby city trail. It’s a rustic single track trail in the Southern Sierra that runs along the Kern River from the outskirts of Kernville up to Johnny McNally’s Fairview Lodge and Restaurant — and burger stand.



The trail is single track all of the way, with so many ups and downs you’ll think you’re riding a Magic Mountain roller coaster. It seems around every corner there is another creek or a ravine. The running is varied and technical, ranging from sweet pine-needle-lined stretches of trail to gnarly, V-rutted, overgrown, rocky, sandy, steep sections that test your trail running skill.

For a time it looked like a big low moving down the coast might cause some weather problems, but overnight rain turned to partly cloudy skies race day morning, with near perfect weather for the runners and walkers.

Many thanks to race director Mike Lane, all the volunteers, McNally’s, Indian Wells Brewing Company, and all of the friendly hikers and runners. Proceeds from the race benefit Run 4 A Way, a local non-profit group dedicated to enhancing the fitness and well being of the local youth. Results and finish line photos are posted on Run 4 A Way’s Facebook page.

Here’s an interactive Cesium browser View of the Burger Run course and an elevation profile generated in SportTracks. Following are a few additional photos. Click for a larger image:





Aid Station #1



Sock’em Dog Rapid



Steep Climb




Runner, River & Road



Kern Peaks



Ten Miles In
nature, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, running|gear, trails, trails|san gorgonio, weather, weather|southern california

San Gorgonio Mountain – Falls Creek Loop 2011

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Falls Creek Trail near Plummer Meadows

I don’t say this very often, but it was great to be running on pavement — smooth, even, consistent pavement. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other and chug on down the blacktop.

I was running down Valley of the Falls Drive from the Vivian Creek trailhead to the Momyer Creek trailhead after ascending San Gorgonio Mountain (11,499′). San Gorgonio is the highest peak in Southern California, the nearest higher peaks being Charleston Peak (11,916′) west of Las Vegas, and Olancha Peak (12,123′) in the Sierra Nevada.



The Momyer Creek and Vivian Creek trailheads are in Mill Creek Canyon, near Forest Falls, on the south side of San Gorgonio Mountain. It only takes me a few minutes longer to drive to the Momyer Trailhead than to drive to Islip Saddle in the San Gabriels, or the Chula Vista trailhead on Mt. Pinos. Momyer is another great option for a scenic, challenging, higher altitude trail run that’s relatively close to home.

There are two routes I like to do on the Forest Falls side of the mountain — the High Line and the Falls Creek loops. Both start/end at Momyer and descend via the Vivian Creek Trail.

Today I’d done the Falls Creek route. This adventurous run features 24 miles of mostly technical trail that gains and loses about 6600′ and tops out at 11,499′. It’s comparable in effort and time to a tough SoCal style 50K. The High Line route is even more of a challenge.

The day had been one of those perfect, cloudless, crystalline days you get in the Autumn, with hundred mile visibility, empyrean blue skies, rich yellow leaves, and long cold shadows.

Following last Winter’s good snowfall and runoff, and the unseasonably strong storm earlier this month, springs and streams were flowing well. On the way I stopped for water at Plummer Meadows, and on the way down at High Creek. Even though I’ve been doing adventures in the mountains for decades, it’s still a little surprising how much water is needed on a higher altitude run, especially when the humidity is low.

Recently someone asked me what kind of water filter I use with a hydration pack. I’ve used three approaches for water treatment when the water source is a “good” one and treatment is a precaution.

Updated September 19, 2017

– UV light pen. SteriPen appears to be the most widely used outdoor UV water purifying pen, and several versions are available. I’m currently using the Steripen Adventurer.
– Inline filter. Before UV pens were widely available and accepted I would occasionally use an inline filter. When dry, the filter was lightweight, however its flow rate was barely adequate. The brand I used to use is no longer available, but the Sawyer 3 Way Water Filter looks similar. Specs say it weighs 1.8 oz.
– No treatment. This is the lightest and fastest option, but having watched a climbing friend fight giardia for a year and lose a shocking amount of weight and strength, I can’t recommend it.

In the Wikipedia overview of portable water purification a writer comments that “studies have shown that UV doses at the levels provided by common portable UV units are effective at killing Giardia and that there was no evidence of repair and reactivation of the cysts.”



The range of temperatures on today’s run was extraordinary. It was cool on the summit — in the low forties — but the coldest temperature was on the shaded slopes below Dollar Lake Saddle (10,000′). Here the temperature had been a chilly thirty-something. Down in Mill Creek Canyon at the end of the run the temperature felt like it was in the mid-eighties. The Mill Creek RAWS, near the ranger station, recorded a temperature of 92 degrees  in the mid afternoon with a relative humidity of only 12%.

One of the highlights of today’s run is that there were still patches of snow above 10,000′ from the storm on October 5th! One big patch at 11,000′ was beginning to become sun-cupped. I don’t think I’ve seen sun-cupped new snow in Autumn before!

The title photograph is from the Falls Creek Trail near Plummer Meadows. Dollar Lake Saddle and Charlton Peak loom above.

Some related posts: San Gorgonio High Line 2009, San Gorgonio Mountain – Falls Creek Loop

nature, nature|weather, weather, weather|la nina, weather|southern california

La Nina and the 2011-2012 Southern California Precipitation Outlook

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What a difference a week makes! Last week an unseasonably deep upper level low, unusually strong 170+ kt Pacific jet, and associated cold front combined to produce record-setting rainfall and cool temperatures in Southern California. This week high pressure and a weak offshore flow produced triple digit temperatures in some areas and set new high temperature records Wednesday in Downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and Santa Barbara.

Which pattern is more likely this rain season? Will Southern California tend to be drier like this week, or wetter like last week and last year? Despite last year’s wet rain season, wet La Nina Winters are not the norm. Generally, La Nina conditions result in drier than normal rain seasons in Southern California, and El Nino wetter.

Following a Summer respite La Nina conditions have reemerged in the equatorial Pacific, and appear to be consolidating. Equatorial SST anomalies have continued to decrease and now range from -1.5°C at 100°W to -0.5°C at 170°E. Equatorial Pacific temperature cross sections show substantial subsurface cooling from July 11 to September 11. The Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) has dropped from -0.5 for July/August to -0.8 for the August/September season. This drops the MEI from a rank of 16th for July/August to 13th for August/September since 1950. This is well within La Nina territory but weaker than last year’s rank of 1st for August/September.



A precipitation composite for seven years* since 1950 in which La Nina conditions persisted or reemerged in the year following a first year La Nina indicates that “on average” the coastal Southern California climate division recorded about 5 to 6 inches less precipitation than normal for the period November through March. The percent of normal water year rainfall recorded at Downtown Los Angeles (USC) ranged from a low of 47% (1971, 7.17″), to a high of 106% (1955, 16.00″). The average rainfall for these years was 70.5%, or 10.7″.

We’ll get the official NOAA/CPC outlooks next week around October 20, when CPC’s Three-Month Precipitation Outlooks and NOAA Winter Outlook are expected to be released.

*The years included in the selection were 1950-51, 1955-56, 1962-63, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1999-2000 and 2008-09. The base period was 1971-2000. The selection was based on the MEI.