In like a lion and out like a lamb.
SURF:
Now that the storms are gone, all that is left is solid surf. Been darn good around here lately.
FORECAST:
That big WNW swell tops out late Sunday but Monday morning is still overhead. That same storm is forecasted to shoot out another pulse and we get more 8'+ waves Monday afternoon.
WEATHER:
Starting to feel like winter around here; 70 degree weather, sunny skies with a few high clouds, and the beaches are packed. What the heck happened to El Nino?! We've got great weather on tap this weekend with no real changes in store. Models show a little weak cold front coming down late Tuesday that may generate showers but nothing like the big storms of last week. After that, high pressure sets up again and we've got great weather next weekend. I'm sure El Nino will make a return this winter, just not in the near future. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf.
BEST BET:
Solid swell late Sunday/early Monday and solid weather. Where do I sign up?
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Boy was it a busy year for extreme sports in 2015. From Brad Dooley hitting 54’ on the mega ramp on his Razor scooter, to Hans Grubeman breaking the world speed record of 38 mph on rollerblades, to Darren McFarden jumping 24 stairs on his hoverboard, it felt like the sky’s the limit. Our extreme weather in 2015 was also radical. From record warmth, to billion dollar disasters, to hurricanes out of control; Hans Grubeman has nuthin’ on Mother Nature. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has wrapped everything up for 2015 in tidy package below:
Record December boosted 2015 to 2nd warmest year for Contiguous US:
The 2015 annual average U.S. temperature was 54.4°F, 2.4°F above the 20th century average, the second warmest year on record. Only 2012 was warmer for the U.S. with an average temperature of 55.3°F. This is the 19th consecutive year the annual average temperature exceeded the 20th century average. The first part of the year was marked by extreme warmth in the West and cold in the East, but by the end of 2015, record warmth spanned the East with near-average temperatures across the West. This temperature pattern resulted in every state having an above-average annual temperature. The average contiguous U.S. precipitation was 34.47 inches, 4.53 inches above average, and ranked as the third wettest year in the 121-year period of record. Only 1973 and 1983 were wetter. The central and southeastern U.S. was much wetter than average, while parts of the West and Northeast were drier than average. The national drought footprint shrank about 10 percent during the course of the year.
Ten Weather, Climate Disasters Exceeding $1 Billion Impacted The Nation:
In 2015, there were 10 weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States. These events included a drought event, 2 flooding events, 5 severe storm events, a wildfire event, and a winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 155 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. The 1980–2015 annual average is 5.2 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2011–2015) is 10.8 events (CPI-adjusted). The U.S. has sustained 188 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2015). The total cost of these 188 events exceeds $1 trillion. Additionally, the U.S. experienced five distinct disaster event types in 2015. It is more common to observe three or four disaster event types in a given year. Five or more disaster event types exceeding $1 billion in the same year occurs less frequently (i.e., 2015, 2011, 2008, 1998, 1994 and 1989).
The 2015 East Pacific hurricane season had 18 named storms, including 13 hurricanes, nine of which became major. The 1981-2010 average number of named storms in the East Pacific is 16.5, with 8.9 hurricanes, and 4.3 major hurricanes. This is the first year since reliable record keeping began in 1971 that the eastern Pacific saw nine major hurricanes. The Central Pacific also saw an above-average tropical cyclone season, with 14 named storms, eight hurricanes, and five major hurricanes, the most active season since reliable record-keeping began in 1971. Three major hurricanes (Ignacio, Kilo and Jimena) were active across the two adjacent basins at the same time, the first time this occurrence has been observed. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy Index (ACE) for the East Pacific basin during 2015 was 158, which is above the 1981-2010 average of 132 and the highest since 2006. The Central Pacific basin ACE during 2015 was 124.
Two major hurricane records were broken in the East Pacific basin during 2015. Hurricane Patricia was the strongest hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere with maximum sustained winds of 200 mph and a central pressure of 879mb. Hurricane Sandra, which formed at the very end of the season in November had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and was the strongest hurricane in the East Pacific so late in the year. The remnants of several East Pacific tropical cyclones made their way into the contiguous U.S. during the year, bringing flooding rains to parts of Southern California, the Southwest, and the Southern Plains. And if forecast models are right, El Nino will slowly die into the summer 2016 season with the hopes of a squeezing out a few more overachievers…
PIC OF THE WEEK:
Some waves you dream about. Others you're scared $#!+less of. Guess which one this is. Looks beautiful until you see it draining off the inside ledge. Sweet dreams.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
The Obvious Choice
3 Oscar Nominations
2007 Extreme Athlete of The Year
