Feb 15 2009
Waiting on the Big Storm at Channel Islands Harbor
Gale warnings have been posted. I’ve rechecked all the SailTime fleet sailboat dock lines and added an extra spring line to keep them secure at the dock. The forecast is for up to 3 inches of rain to fall at the coast during a 12 hour period. Even more important for sailors is the wind forecast, officially 25-35 with gusts to 40 or more. This is the combination of a huge hunk of tropical moisture meeting a low pressure front from the North smack dab in the LA basin.Â
In the 3pm radar graphic above Los Angeles is directly in the middle of the Southern flow and the Northern front. I don’t know what meteorologists call this type of situation. But I call it a mash up and the high wind prediction is due to an exceptionally tight pressure gradient that is setting up over Southern California. The sailing was great yesterday – but this will wash out the rest of the long weekend. Good stuff for skiers and definitely good stuff for our constant drought.
That looks like it was a nasty storm, like you said though great for the dought!