El Nino + Hurricane = Firing
SURF:
Fun surf last weekend slowly died all week and today we were left with background waist high SW/NW swells. Tomorrow is more of the same with just waist high sets- but at least the water is 72!
FORECAST:
WEATHER:
Nice weather has finally graced our shores. Looks like May Gray/June Gloom is in our rearview mirror. Now that doesn't mean we won't get any more clouds this summer- on the contrary- we have clouds coming this weekend thanks to Hurricane Dolores. Dolores of course won't be a hurricane by the time her clouds reach us, but it will be humid and there's a slight chance of showers for us at the coast- but most likely in our deserts/mountains. The clouds will move through Saturday/Sunday then next week should be back to normal with night/morning low clouds/fog and temps in the mid-70's.
BEST BET:
Sunday- tropical weather and hurricane surf. Cabo comes to Cardiff!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
If you know me by now, I don't sweat the small stuff. Sure we all wish we had more money or we get a ding in our favorite board from time to time or your cell goes blank for no reason- but that stuff we can overcome fairly easily. What I always worry about is big picture. For years I've always thought in the back of my head "What if the sun had a hiccup?" Well, CNN reported this week that scientists have made a discovery about the sun's "heartbeat" that they say indicates that Earth's Northern Hemisphere could experience a deep freeze in 15 years. Awesome. Now before you go acting like Chicken Little this weekend, let's take a deep breath and look at the facts:
The sun has a "solar heartbeat," or cycle of activity, that produces energy that causes sunspots and solar flares. Scientists at Northumbria University in northeast England developed a model that illustrates the history of these heartbeats and that predicts there will be irregularities in them. The model suggests that solar activity will fall by 60% during the 2030s. According to the Royal Astronomical Society, the researchers studied the sun's magnetic field activity between 1976 and 2008. They compared their predictions with average sunspot numbers, another strong marker of solar activity, the society reported. The researchers' model showed a 97% level of accuracy, said Valentina Zharkova, a Northumbria University mathematics professor. So how cold could it get? The scientists say their findings could mean a deep freeze like the one Great Britain experienced around 1900, when the Thames River froze over. CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller says the study looks intriguing, but it has not been peer reviewed, or subjected to the scrutiny of the larger scientific community. "This isn't published research yet," he said. "Our ability to forecast the specifics of a solar cycle is incredibly poor. It's worse than forecasting in a hurricane season." Doug Biesecker, who works at the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado, agrees with Miller. He said the research shouldn't give anyone the idea that because the weather may cool, climate change is not something to be worried about. "It's a very complicated issue," Biesecker, an expert in solar physics, told CNN. "Does the sun have a role in our variable climate? Yes. Is the dominant role? No. Even the concept of the sun being responsible for Europe's mini ice age -- it's not hard-and-fast true." Bottom line: The research needs a closer look. So in the meantime, enjoy the tropical weather this weekend because it may be getting cold just over the horizon. Look at the bright side- the cold spell may just offset global warming! (insert nervous laughter here).
PIC OF THE WEEK:
I swear Jimmy Buffet is going to pop out of that boat and start singing. Fine by me- as long as he doesn't paddle out and snake me.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
King Before Lebron, Elvis, and Tut
Still Watch Saturday Morning Cartoons
Only Surfer to go Left at J-Bay. Switchfoot.
