Newport Beach Daily Weather Observations

Well.

Fri, 30 May 2008 23:52:04 -0800

Christ Jesus, I got a comment. Can you credit it? Someone was actually reading? And just when I had something to say. I guess I am back. Maybe not daily though.

I listen extensively to KNX news radio in the afternoons. This afternoon, giving the extended weather forecast, the announcer said "Well, no sweltering heat on the way. In fact, no bizarre weather phenomena are predicted within the next week."

Now there is a forecast with color. Today was surprisingly chilly morning and surprisingly warm afternoon. But with a sea breeze. Shut up. I told you it never changes.

I Cannot Do This.

Fri, 30 May 2008 23:51:28 -0800

Well, my daily weather blog lasted all of nine days. I'm going to have to leave that stuff to Thomas Jefferson. At least he lived in Virginia, where interesting things live and bloom and the weather actually changes.

With summer looming ahead, I simply cannot do this. It will turn me into the walking dead.

Thank you.

A Little Warmer.

Tue, 27 May 2008 09:07:08 -0800

Mostly more of the same. Sunny for the most part, but that chilly sea breeze can kick your ass. Temperature range the same, mid-50s at night to mid-60s day, but a higher proportion of sun makes things warmer.

The sun is very strong in So Cal. After nearly 24 years I will never get used to it. And oddly, the Pacific Ocean is way colder than the Atlantic. At least in these parts.

Better Weather.

Sun, 25 May 2008 09:03:00 -0800

The storm blew through last night and it was partly cloudy but still chilly and windy. The kids were able to go out and ride bikes though. High in the mid-60s and overnight lows in the mid-50s.

Storm Has Past.

Sat, 24 May 2008 20:58:00 -0800

There was some pretty good rainfall overnight -- nothing measurably appreciable, but we did have a microburst or two. Overnight low around 53, daytime high in the mid-60s. Partly cloudy and continued windy and cool. Not much change in the immediate forecast.

Wintry!

Fri, 23 May 2008 19:56:47 -0800

We went to bed last night in May and woke up in February. Today was cloudy, windy, chilly and damp, with scattered rain, high in the mid-60s and low about 57. (This probably doesn't sound like February to you, but in So Cal, that is February in a nutshell.)

I think the most of the rain is gone -- we only got a few hundredths of an inch, about enough to annoy the basenjis and not much more. But the low pressure is slated to persist through the weekend. Not good pool weather or Memorial Day barbecue weather.

Yet I should also mention the prominent blooms of So Cal in May. There are the jacaranda -- these are trees nondescript in most seasons, but lit up with gorgeous exploding purple blossoms in May. Many So Cal streets are (wisely) lined with jacaranda, and at this time of year they are some sight to behold. There is also the star jasmine, a common hedge in these parts which bursts into fragrant white blooms in May and makes the place smell like Hawaii (we should all be so lucky). The jacaranda blooms tend to fall onto the sidewalks and make them dreadful slippery, but so be it. Because beauty always has its cost.

Unsettled.

Thu, 22 May 2008 17:13:00 -0800

Cloudy, windy, unsettled, scattered thundershowers. There has been some light rain and some thunder heard in Newport Beach this afternoon, but no proper thundershowers. This may change. Daytime high in the mid-60s, overnight low was 57.

Tomorrow promises more of the same. Chilly wind, unstable weather conditions. This is the sort of circumstance that sometimes produces waterspouts off the coast, but damn it, I have never personally seen one.

Gorgeous.

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:06:00 -0800

Cloudy and cool mornings, clearing to sunny in the afternoon with a good sea breeze. High 71; overnight low 61. Low pressure moving into the area is expected to produce more clouds and cooler temperatures, with a chance of (dare I say it?) rain in the next few days. I'll believe it when I see it.

Complete Weather Shift.

Tue, 20 May 2008 10:02:00 -0800

The weather pattern has shifted completely and the heat wave is over. Today is cloudy and cool with morning drizzle, and it isn't expected to clear today. Overnight low around 64; forecast high around 66.

In Southern California, June (sometimes May and July) is characterized by a weather pattern called "June gloom" where nights and mornings are cloudy, cool and sometimes drizzly, with afternoon sunshine inland. Often at the coast the clouds don't clear at all, or clear only briefly in the late afternoon. We are entering a period of such weather now.

My son Sam was born on a morning exactly like this one.

Cooling Continues.

Mon, 19 May 2008 05:37:00 -0800

Still sunny with a high around 81 and overnight low of 66. Hot upstairs in the afternoon, but a beautiful cool sea breeze began around 8 p.m. Looking for further cooling tomorrow.