I love Santa Ana(s)!
SURF:
Not much of a week for surf. After the quick shot of stormsurf on Sunday it's been pretty flat since then. Good weather though. Today we have some background SW swell for maybe waist high sets in far north county SD and stomach high waves in the OC.
FORECAST:
After a fun weekend of surf, we get a reinforcement out of the NW late Monday into Tuesday for chest high waves in north county and shoulder high waves in SD. The SW should stick around too into Tuesday morning.
WEATHER:
Mostly sunny skies this morning then high pressure sets up even stronger this weekend for a Santa Ana wind event. Look for warm offshore winds before lunch Saturday and Sunday and air temps near the high 70's. The OC will have gusty offshore winds. Winds back off Monday and Tuesday but we'll still have sunny skies and nice days. Late next week looks to have a return of clouds, cooler temps, and maybe a shot at showers.
BEST BET:
Looks like Sunday's the day- new small NW swell, fun SW swell, offshore winds, and beach temps in the high 70's. Or maybe that slightly bigger NW for next Tuesday with great weather too...
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Considering how cold it's been lately (mid-30's at the beaches- seriously?) I thought we should take a look at some snow science this week. And considering you'll probably go snowboarding at least once this winter, you can amaze your friends while you wait in the those long lift lines at Mammoth.
Q: How are snowflakes formed?
A: A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals – the six arms of the snowflake.
That’s the short answer. The more complex explanation is this:
These ice crystals that make up snowflakes are symmetrical (or patterned) because they reflect the internal order of the crystal’s water molecules as they arrange themselves in predetermined spaces (known as “crystallization”) to form a six-sided snowflake. Ultimately, it is the temperature at which a crystal forms — and to a lesser extent the humidity of the air — that determines the basic shape of the ice crystal. Thus, we see long needle-like crystals at 23 degrees F and very flat plate-like crystals at 5 degrees F. The intricate shape of a single arm of the snowflake is determined by the atmospheric conditions experienced by entire ice crystal as it falls. A crystal might begin to grow arms in one manner, and then minutes or even seconds later, slight changes in the surrounding temperature or humidity causes the crystal to grow in another way. Although the six-sided shape is always maintained, the ice crystal (and its six arms) may branch off in new directions. Because each arm experiences the same atmospheric conditions, the arms look identical.
Q: So, why are no two snowflakes exactly alike?
A: Well, that’s because individual snowflakes all follow slightly different paths from the sky to the ground —and thus encounter slightly different atmospheric conditions along the way. Therefore, they all tend to look unique, resembling everything from prisms and needles to the familiar lacy pattern
BEST OF THE BLOG:
Downtown Encinitas is known for Yoga studios, boutique restaurants, surf shops, and an explosion of bars disguised as eating establishments. But there's a new sheriff in town- and they're taking over the old Becker surf shop. Get the scoop at the North County Surf blog. And of course a mid-week Surf Check and an in-depth THE Surf Report; all of that and more in the blog below!
PIC OF THE WEEK:
How great would it be to have this thing barreling down on you?! How sketchy would it be to have this thing barreling down on you?!
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Mogul
Charger Fan. Again.
Quarterfinalist 1988 Sandy Beach Gotcha Pro
