Doesn't Get More Spring Than This.
SURF:
Spring is officially here! All we need now is solid combo swells to really kick off the season. This week wasn't bad though with fun NW and better than expected SW mixing it up. Most NW and SW beaches had rideable surf- along with some odd weather. We're back though to cool temps, coastal low clouds, and maybe some spring showers this weekend (more on that below). For the surf though, we had peaking NW/SW today so Friday will be a touch smaller with sets in the chest high range. For Saturday, the SW will be a shell of its former- which doesn't matter since a storm will be moving into the region. Look for small conditions, gusty SW winds, and rain.
Sunday has messy overhead NW swell and lingering showers. Long story short- Friday will be clean, Saturday flat and windy, and solid Sunday but windy again. And here’s the sun, tides, and water temps for the upcoming weekend:
- Sunrise and sunset:
- 6:46 AM sunrise
- 7:04 PM sunset
- We have more than 12 hours of sun finally! Know why? Spring of course (more on that below in the News of the Week).
- Unlike 2023, with no strong NW wind (yet), our water temps are a pleasant 62 +/-. Time to put away the 4/3? Jinx!
- And tides are starting to fluctuate again this weekend- but not too bad:
- about 3' at sunrise
- up to 5' mid-morening
- down to 0' late afternoon
- and back up to 3' at sunset
FORECAST:
For next week, Monday is cleaner with leftover NW and head high surf. Tuesday/Wednesday drop to the waist to chest range before our next expected storm rolls through.
Thursday sees building overhead NW again- but with windy/rainy conditions. Then charts show ANOTHER cold front next weekend? As far as the southern hemisphere goes- nothing of importance- yet. If anything changes between now and then, make sure to follow North County Surf on Twitter.
WEATHER:
As mentioned above- lots of spring type storms lined up in the near future. Not a ton of rain- but windy and consistent. Look for rain this weekend, rain later next week, and maybe rain again late next weekend. And here's what we have on tap for the next several days:
- Friday: Partly sunny. Temps 60/50.
- Saturday/Sunday: Showers/breezy. Temps 58/48.
- Monday to Wednesday: Sunny. Temps low 60's to low 50's.
- And long range charts show a chance of showers or rain late in the week and maybe again late next weekend.
BEST BET:
Friday with smaller but cleaner combo swell. Or Monday with leftover head high NW and cleaner conditions. And later next week is a roll of the dice!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
The Vernal Equinox is here! The Vernal Equinox is here! Hurray!
What the heck is the Vernal Equinox? We'll it's the official start of spring of course, which occurred at 11:06 PM on March 19th with the first full day being March 20th. Every year the earth goes once around the Sun; that is, after all, the definition of a year. The earth spins on its axis, and the axis happens to be tilted about 23.5 degrees relative to earth's orbital plane. As a result, sometimes the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and sometimes the southern hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The change isn't severe, but it is enough to cause the seasons. When the north is tilting toward the sun we generally experience warmer weather in the north. When the south is tilted toward the sun then the southern hemisphere generally experiences the warmer weather. (The actual distance from the earth to the sun is not the cause of the seasons. People in the north sometimes find it hard to believe that during the northern winter, the earth is actually a little closer to the sun than it is during the northern summer.) As the earth revolves around the sun there are two moments (not whole days) of the year when the sun is exactly above the equator. At these times neither pole tilts toward the sun. These moments are called "equinoxes". One occurs in March as the northern hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun. In the north, that equinox is called the "vernal, or spring equinox", the beginning of spring.
What the heck is the Vernal Equinox? We'll it's the official start of spring of course, which occurred at 11:06 PM on March 19th with the first full day being March 20th. Every year the earth goes once around the Sun; that is, after all, the definition of a year. The earth spins on its axis, and the axis happens to be tilted about 23.5 degrees relative to earth's orbital plane. As a result, sometimes the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and sometimes the southern hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The change isn't severe, but it is enough to cause the seasons. When the north is tilting toward the sun we generally experience warmer weather in the north. When the south is tilted toward the sun then the southern hemisphere generally experiences the warmer weather. (The actual distance from the earth to the sun is not the cause of the seasons. People in the north sometimes find it hard to believe that during the northern winter, the earth is actually a little closer to the sun than it is during the northern summer.) As the earth revolves around the sun there are two moments (not whole days) of the year when the sun is exactly above the equator. At these times neither pole tilts toward the sun. These moments are called "equinoxes". One occurs in March as the northern hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun. In the north, that equinox is called the "vernal, or spring equinox", the beginning of spring.
The other, in September, is the autumnal equinox and is the first day of fall (autumn). In the southern hemisphere, the March equinox is autumnal, and the September equinox is vernal. Around the time of either equinox [equal-night] the daylight period of the day is close to the same length of time as the night time period. The term Vernal Equinox has another meaning in astronomy. It refers to the point in the heavens which is the location of the sun at the moment of the northern vernal equinox. This point is useful as an astronomical marker, but because of something called 'precession' it moves very slowly. At one time this point was called the "First Point of Aries", because it was located just over the boundary of the constellation Aries. So what does spring really mean for us? Well we should see the storm track start to lift with storms producing just showers from fast moving fronts- not steady rain (like this weekeend). With the fast moving fronts and lifting storm track, expect less NW groundswells and more WNW windswells (ugh). The southern hemi also starts to kick into gear and the best SW of the seasons will occur. Our El Nino is also waning so expect temps to be cool in the atmosphere and in our waters. So crack a cold one this weekend out of respect for the Vernal Equinox.
And in case you're wondering, here's San Diego sunrises and sunsets during the equinoxes & solstices:
- Spring: Roughly March 20th: 6:58 AM, 6:58 PM. 12 hours of sunlight and darkness
- Summer: June 20th: 5:40 AM, 8:00 PM. Almost 14.5 hours of sunlight but only 9.5 hours of darkness.: 12 hours of sunlight and darkness.
- Winter: December 20th: 6:50 AM, 4:50 PM. Only 10 hours of daylight but 14 hours of darkness.
BEST OF THE BLOG:
SAVE THE DATE(S)!
As a reminder, the North County Board Meeting will be hob nobbing it at the beautiful Alila Marea Beach Resort in Leucadia next week on March 28th. Looking to network with like minded individuals? Want to give back to your community? Want to learn more about this amazing hotel? Want to talk a little surf over a cold one? Done, done, done and DONE. Come join us at 5:30 PM sharp to get an exclusive behind the scenes look at this highly touted hotel. Don't be late though as you won't be able to find us once we get moving on this sprawling property. Sponsored by our good friend Andrew Becht from Acrisure, meet your fellow surfers to make some new connections, learn about the Alila brand, and finish it off with a bite and refreshments.
And mark your calendars- our NINTH ANNUAL charity golf tournament is happening FRIDAY, MAY 17TH at... of course it's at Goat Hill. Where else? This year we'll be benefitting Foster the Earth, an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable children and young adults in the foster care system through exposure to the great outdoors. Cost is just $150 to play (and includes lunch from our friends at Senor Grubby's) and hole sponsorships are $250. It's first come, first serve as usual- so hit me up ASAP to reserve your spot (and thank you to everyone that has already reached out to play and sponsorships)!
PIC OF THE WEEK:
It's time to play... "HOW. DID. THEY. DO. THAT?!"
Our first contestant today is a secretive island in the N Atlantic. Look closely at the point in the foreground- you'll notice roughly half a dozen surfers. The million dollar question today is... how did they get out to the line up?! The beach is steep and there's no road, so that's out of the question. They could have walked on the 'beach' but it's full of boulders, so forget that idea. Maybe a boat (but there are none anchored). Which leaves... a paddle from the jetty roughly half a mile away? I guess that wave is worth it.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Masterful
Go Aztecs
World's Foremost Expert In Everything Surf Related
Michael W. Glenn
Masterful
Go Aztecs
World's Foremost Expert In Everything Surf Related
