Every cloud has a silver lining?
SURF:
Hope everyone has been safe and sane this past week. I guess through all these tough times recently you can say there's a silver lining? That would be the surf is small, blown out, and for the most part dirty from all the rain. How is that a positive? Well, it's keeping us at home and not crowding the line ups which is a no-no in the age of social distancing. Plus, most beaches in the county are closed, so it's best to get those dings fixed, clean off that dirty wax, and be ready to charge once health officials give us the green light again. While we're on the subject of small waves and not surfing for long periods of time, now you know how it feels to be a surfer from Florida. Ouch! Oh no I didn't! (Mad love for Richie Rudolph, Kelly Slater, John Holeman, Scott McCranels, Matt Kechele, Damien Hobgood, Frieda Zamba, CJ Hobgood, Todd Holland, Cory Lopez, Lisa Andersen, Yancy Spencer, Shea Lopez, Dick Catri, Aaron Cormican, and anyone else that makes 2' surf look like J-Bay). Back to the subject at hand. The surf. If you don't have access to a private wave pool, here's what you can expect this weekend: The weak spring type storm we're experiencing tonight will exit the region and leave us with bumpy chest high surf from the NW and a touch of SW underneath on Friday.
For Saturday we've got cleaner conditions but dying NW and a new little SW for waist to chest high surf. And for Sunday, let's play 'THE Surf Report - Home Edition!' I'm going to let you do the forecast for Sunday. If you guessed another weak cold front, windy conditions, and chest high sets from the NW with a touch of SW... YOU WIN! If you said 6' and offshore, you're obviously new to the game. Better luck next time. And here's the tides and sun this weekend:
- Sunrise and sunset are:
- 6:41 AM sunrise
- 7:06 PM sunset
- Water temps aren't rising above 60 degrees due to all the WNW wind recently
- And tides are mellow this weekend:
- 0' in the morning
- 3' at lunch
- 1' in the evening
FORECAST:
After a small and bumpy weekend of surf (for the most part), next week doesn't look much better. (I know I said it before but I swear this virus and the surf are in cahoots). Looks like we have minimal NW (with a chance of a weak cold front again towards Thursday) with small SW as a filler for most of next week.
On a brighter note, I'm not sure if the virus will be gone by then, but models are showing a healthy SSW swell arriving around the 7th of April. If everything comes together, we could see shoulder high+ surf- if you can find a beach that's open of course. Make sure to check out Twitter/North County Surf if anything changes between now and then.
BEST BET:
- Saturday with cleaner conditions and small NW/SW
- MAYBE good SW around the 7th of April?
WEATHER:
Even though the virus is throwing us a curve ball, the weather seems to be pretty consistent around here. As we transition from winter to spring, the storms are lacking moisture but still packing a punch with the wind. Tomorrow we'll have gusts to 20 mph in the AM and cleaner cool conditions on Saturday. Sunday looks to be breezy again with a chance of showers. Monday to Wednesday is nice, then maybe another weak cold front towards the end of the week. FYI- summer is only 86 short days away!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
As we wait for the world to sort itself out, what does spring have in store for us in regards to the weather, waves, and water temps? Right now we're in a neutral position when it comes to La Nina/El Nino, so water temps should be average (i.e. no 4/3 fullsuits in June nor boardshorts in April) and storms are phasing themselves out as we head towards summer. So don't expect consistently big surf- or flat surf for months on end for that matter.
For the near term, air temps look to be average and even though our storms are fizzling out, we should end up right on track for seasonal rainfall.
For the rest of the country, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters predict widespread flooding this spring across the eastern half of the US, but do not expect it to be as severe or prolonged overall as the historic floods in 2019. Major to moderate flooding is likely in 23 states from the Northern Plains south to the Gulf Coast, with the most significant flood potential in parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. NOAA also states:
Ongoing rainfall, highly-saturated soil and an enhanced likelihood for above-normal precipitation this spring contribute to the increased chances for flooding across the central and southeastern U.S. A risk of minor flooding exists across one-third of the country.
The greatest risk for major and moderate flood conditions includes the upper and middle Mississippi River basins, the Missouri River basin and the Red River of the North. Moderate flooding is anticipated in the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Missouri River basins, as well as the lower Mississippi River basin and its tributaries.
The greatest risk for major and moderate flood conditions includes the upper and middle Mississippi River basins, the Missouri River basin and the Red River of the North. Moderate flooding is anticipated in the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Missouri River basins, as well as the lower Mississippi River basin and its tributaries.
Above-average precipitation is favored from the Northern Plains, southward through the lower Mississippi Valley across to the East Coast. Large parts of Alaska are also likely to experience above-average precipitation in the months ahead.
Warmer-than-average temperatures are most likely from coast to coast with the greatest chances in northern Alaska, across the central Great Basin southward into the Gulf States, and into the Southeast and portions of the Mid-Atlantic. No part of the country is favored to experience below-average temperatures this spring.
Warmer-than-average temperatures are most likely from coast to coast with the greatest chances in northern Alaska, across the central Great Basin southward into the Gulf States, and into the Southeast and portions of the Mid-Atlantic. No part of the country is favored to experience below-average temperatures this spring.
Drought conditions are expected to persist and expand throughout California in the months ahead, and drought is likely to persist in the central and southern Rocky Mountains, the southern Plains, southern Texas, and portions of the Pacific Northwest.
With recent world events being unpredictable lately, at least we can count on a bit of normalcy with California's weather.
PIC OF THE WEEK:
Meaty. Not for vegan surfers.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Tougher Than Leather
Caffeine, GMO, Sugar, Cholesterol, and Gluten Free. Also Low Sodium, Low-Fat, Organic And Naturally Flavored!
Only Surf On Days Ending In Y
