May 14, 2014

  • Brown Moon

    We are in the middle of a major heat wave this week.  There is a high pressure system just east of Los Angeles, which causes hot air to blow off the desert and into our area.  This time, it's blowing all the way to the ocean, blowing harder than usual, but bringing more hot air in with it.  We know these winds as Santana Winds, or Santa Ana Winds.  They usually don't happen at this time of year -- more commonly we have a couple of heat waves in August or September.  Santana Winds are usually the cause for Red Flag Warnings -- be extra careful about brushfires, parking restrictions go into effect, and so forth. 

    Yesterday, there were two fires in the northern San Diego area.  Around 9:30 this morning, a group of fires began.  One was near San Onofre, the nuclear power plant that was recently decommissioned, started when a bigrig caught fire.  Then one about 20 miles south of that, in Carlsbad, near the Flower Fields and Legoland -- you've heard about this one on the news, as it's burned into housing tracts -- 8 homes lost, and 30 damaged by this evening.  Then, about 25 miles east of there, on base at Camp Pendleton, and this afternoon another near there, near California State University San Marcos.

    By 11 am, the air here was brown and thick, although the closest fire was at least 20 miles away.  I could not see clearly the hills on the other side of the major canyon near my house, and could not see Saddleback Mountain at all.  It stayed that way until just before sunset, when the sky finally became blue, though not completely clear.  It is close to a full moon this evening, and I saw a brown moon rise -- this shot was taken about an hour after moonrise.

    IMGP9167

    Tomorrow is supposed to be another hot day -- the temperatures broke records all over the area today, and it may be even hotter tomorrow.  Laguna Beach recorded 99 degrees, and it was about 102 here, just a few miles inland.  Over the weekend, the prediction is that it will cool down a bit -- perhaps 30 degrees or so to a more normal temperature!  This is the weather that everybody has been concerned about -- and the firestorm.  It is likely that we will have several more of these weather patterns during the summer.

Comments (18)

  • I have been thinking about you, and wondering if the fires are close to you, so I was glad to read your post.

    • Thanks, Doris! I'm happy to say that the closest fire is about 20-25 miles away. I awoke to a blue sky this morning -- it seems that the winds have died down, and that should help the firefighters.

  • I do hope you are safe! That the fires are so close is disturbing. Sounds awful - and here we are having rain like nothing else. Wish we could switch for a little while... Stay safe and cool!

    • I'm safe, and the sky is blue again today! I feel sorry for the people in Carlsbad -- and those in San Marcos -- where they are losing homes. This is reminiscent of 1992, when a fire came down Laguna Canyon and split into two at the ocean, going both directions. That one was a mile from me on the west and on the south -- that's when it gets scary! A switchof fire for rain isn't an even trade, but it would be delightful for a little while :-) !

  • I have been watching the news and ya'all on it.

  • I'm trying to call you right now. Oh there you are.

  • I am so prayer-focused and worried for all, especially for Carlsbad and San Onofre. Stay safe and well, Janet.

    • Thanks, Gary! The winds have died down today, and the sky is blue again! It's still hot, but that in itself is not as scary as when there is wind too. I hope today will stay calm, so they can get a real handle on the fires -- Carlsbad and San Onofre -- and San Marcos, too. The real fear, of course, is that there will be one more, close by -- I think we're past that danger now, but will be happy when it cools down a little!

  • so scary! It is very chilly here ~ 47º and drizzling rain ~ wondering if summer will ever get here ~

    • It's very scary -- especially as an indication that we are likely to repeat this weather pattern all summer! Today was a little calmer -- less wind -- but no cooler. And tomorrow is likely to be about the same. Fire is a serious issue here now, as is water! I hope you don't have extremes when your summer does arrive!

  • Glad to read that the winds have died down. We have friends who used to live in San Bernadino. They lost their home to fire many years ago. They live in Colo. now.

    • I remember a couple of really nasty fires in San Bernardino! So sorry your friends lost their home, but at least they lived. San Diego's fires are still burning, and pretty nasty -- hopefully the weather will help overnight and tomorrow!

  • Weird weather, no. We are about the same, hot, high 80's.

    • High 80's doesn't sound so bad, even in HI -- but how are the trades? It's very odd here -- seasons turned upside down!

  • So hot and fiery there. Wet & cold (41 tonight) here in Ohio. We also have had some tornadoes hit a couple of the towns south of us.
    Glad to hear that you are safe.

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