The Storm Roars In

UPDATED: Friday, February 6, 2015: 4:00pm

Sugarbowl base area at 3:30pm on 2/6/15

Summary:

The storm has arrived!  Take a look at Sugarbowl this afternoon.  Snow levels are supposed to be pretty high with these two storms this weekend, but they’re starting out lower than expected.  Let’s hope that keeps up!  For the Bay Area, expect very windy and rainy conditions to continue into Saturday morning with a lull and showery weather taking us through the rest of the day on Saturday.  Sunday a new storm roars in and it will bring more rain and wind through Monday.  Highs through the weekend will be in the low 60’s and lows will dip to around 50.  Tahoe will get blasted as well, but with mainly rain.  Above 8,000ft. heavy wet snow could total up in the 2-3 foot range, but only a few inches of snow will make it down to lake level by the end of the second storm on Monday.  The beaches are as stormy and blown out as you might expect.  

The weather has closed down a few of our outdoor events planned for this weekend, but that shouldn’t keep you from having some fun with UD!  Tonight at the clubhouse we’re hosting a Speed Dating Night and Alison will be hosting a Brunch on Sunday morning.  Sign up if you haven’t already!

Around Tahoe:

The resorts started getting nuked mid afternoon.  I’ve been watching the webcams around the region all day and as of 3:30pm, a few inches of snow has already fallen up at Donner Summit and it continues to come down hard.  Many resorts were closed today due to the weather and wind.  Expect a few feet of heavy, wet snow to fall through Sunday above 8000ft., but below that most of the precipitation will fall as rain.  Since snow levels started off pretty low at the onset of the storm a few hours ago, I’m still holding out hope that more cold air will come in with this storm and rejuvenate the snow pack and our ski season.  At this stage in the game, one can only hope.  The storms will continue all weekend with the final impulse moving out of the region late Monday.

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

MODERATE avy danger exists in the backcountry, but it will be rising quickly to CONSIDERABLE with the arriving storm.  New snow and high winds will create loading conditions on lee aspects and unstable slab buildup is almost certain as the storm rolls in.  It’s a good time to stay out of the backcountry until the storm passes.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

High winds and heavy rains will dominate the area this weekend.  If you enjoy watching mother nature blow in off the ocean in full force, be safe, don your rain gear and head out.  The poor weather forced us to close out our intro to backpacking trip scheduled for the weekend on Angel Island.  This is, however, a perfect weekend to read a book, watch a documentary and meet up with Alison for brunch on Sunday at Dr. Teeth.  Expect rain to be heaviest tonight and early tomorrow with a lull later in the day on Saturday, followed by another wallop early Sunday morning through the day Sunday and into Monday.  Temps will be in the 60’s during the day and 50’s at night.   

Surf Around the Region:  

Big storms mean two things: poor waves and poor water quality.  It’s advisable to stay out of the water this weekend as a month of urban sludge will be washing into our beloved mother ocean all at once.  The waves are chopped up and creating “victory at sea” conditions too.  One spot on the coast, storm favorite, Lindamar Beach in Pacifica, has been dishing up some great conditions today, despite the howling winds:

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

February 6, 2015

Sunrise: 7:09am/ Sunset: 5:39pm

High Tide: 1:18am at 5.2ft/ 12:35pm at 5.4ft

Low Tide: 6:39am at 2.1ft/ 18:52 at 0.5ft

Be safe if you head out this weekend and have a great one!

SB

Change In the Air

UPDATED: Wednesday, February 4, 2015: 5:00pm

Summary:

Change is in the air.  Since arriving at the UD clubhouse this morning, winds have picked up and begun clearing out the air.  This morning we couldn’t see Alcatraz from the clubhouse and now Marin is in full view.  A major storm system is en route for Northern California over the next few days.  Around the Bay, expect one more day of dry weather that will end abruptly on Thursday with heavy rain and high winds.  Tahoe will get wet as well and snow levels look to be high with this system, around 8000ft.  The good surf from earlier in the week is now getting jumbled about by the high onshore winds.  

Around Tahoe:

The wait for a system to come and drop some rain/snow has finally come to an end.  A large system is approaching NorCal and should begin to dropping snow around Tahoe early on Friday.  Unfortunately, this storm is already being described as a “Pineapple Express” event, and this typically means high snow levels and rain for lower elevations.  As of this morning, models showed little clarity as to where snow will begin falling, but I would not anticipate much snow below 8000ft.  If you’re headed up to the mountains for some turns, head to resorts with higher terrain like Squaw, Kirkwood, Heavenly and Mt. Rose.  

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger still dominates the backcountry, but expect this to change quickly as the coming storm begins to affect the area.  High winds and heavy, wet snow on the upper mountains will quickly load slopes.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

Expect winds to pick up around the Bay later tonight and tomorrow ahead of the storm.  Rain will begin on Thursday afternoon and evening from north to south.  Temperatures Thursday and Friday will warm into the low 60’s and cool into the low 50’s at night.  Unless you’re a fan of playing in the rain, the next few days might be a good time to hit the gym or actually stay in the office.  

Surf Around the Region:  

When we do get storms, it’s best to stay out of the water.  The arrival of onshore winds this afternoon has chopped up the surf around the region and it looks like now is a good time to rest up until the weather passes.  

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

February 4,  2015

Sunrise: 7:11am/ Sunset: 5:36pm

High Tide: 12:23am at 5.2ft/ 11:23am at 5.9ft

Low Tide: 5:24am at 2.3ft/ 17:52 at 1.5ft

SB

Happy Groundhog Day!

UPDATED: Monday, February 2, 1:30pm

Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day 2015.  Source: Washington Post

Summary:

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning: it looks like we have another 6 weeks of winter to look forward to.  While the East Coast has been shivering and digging out from snow, we continue to live in the non-winter of 2015.  For the first half of the week, the weather will be the same as it has been for the past month: cool nights and warm days under sunny skies.  No snow is in the forecast for Tahoe for at least the first half of the week.  At the beaches a new swell has arrived from the west producing some fun, chest-head high surf.  

Around Tahoe:

I feel like a broken record, but at least for the first half of the week, no changes are in store.  In the Sierra, highs will be in the 40’s and 50’s depending on your elevation and lows will be at or below freezing.  The big news is that the forecast models are beginning to show a possible series of storms coming into the region this weekend.  There is great uncertainty as to whether or not they will drop far enough south to drop some significant precip.  Sadly, the first storm is looking very warm with snow levels in the 9,000-10,000ft range (only a few peaks in Tahoe have summits over 10,000ft.).  Later in the weekend we could see another storm with possibly lower snow levels.  This is still nearly a week away, so confidence in how much and what kind of precip Tahoe will receive is low.  However, it’s great to see some different weather on the horizon.  

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger dominates the backcountry with the old, shallow snowpack.  Be on the lookout for rocks, branches and everything that could poke through the shallow snowpack.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

The non-winter conditions continue.  Expect highs in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s under some passing high clouds around the area through midweek.  

This weekend the UD crew had a blast out in Marin on Saturday along the Cataract Falls trail.  There wasn’t a ton of water in Cataract Creek, but the hike was beautiful and the views from high on the slopes of Mt. Tam were spectacular.   

Surf Around the Region:  

A new midperiod swell is now hitting our beaches and the waves look fun!  Play hookie and paddle out if you can.  I surfed out in Pacifica twice this weekend and the waves were great, so great that I ended up staying out under the full moon on Saturday night.  

Don’t forget about the new Learn to Surf Series starting up in February in Pacifica.  Sign up and let me teach you to surf!

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

February 2, 2015

Sunrise: 7:13am, Sunset 5:34pm
Low Tide: 4:05am at 2.5ft/ 16:50 at -0.2ft.
High Tide: 10:08am 6.2ft./  23:52 at 5.1ft.

Have a great week and get outside however you can!

SB

Time to Break Out

UPDATED: Friday, January 30, 2015: 4:00pm

Hawaii?  No.  Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Jan. 24, 2015.  Photo: Sachi Cunningham @seasachi

Summary:

You’ve done it again: survived another work week. Now it’s time to get outside and play!  Don’t forget that tomorrow afternoon I’m hosting a hike to Cataract Falls in Marin. Sign up now if you haven’t already!

Expect yet another weekend of great weather for getting outside around Northern California.  Around the Bay Area expect highs in the low to mid 60’s all weekend with sunny to partly cloudy skies.  Tahoe will see temps warming into the 50’s during the day under sunshine while at the coast waves are mainly in the head high range, but pretty disorganized.

Around Tahoe:

The drought continues.  For those of you headed up for the UD North Shore Beginner’s Weekend, be sure to bring the sunscreen!  The days on the mountain will be warm and sunny, perfect for getting a tan or sporting a t-shirt on the hill.  Most resorts are still holding onto their snowpack, especially on the upper mountains, so inbounds coverage is still looking good.  Gusty winds could affect some of the higher resorts this weekend, but in general expect another warm, sunny weekend of spring skiing.  

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger dominates the backcountry with the old, shallow snowpack.  Be aware of some warm snow instabilities on E-S-W aspects that could crop up later on in the day this weekend.  Be on the lookout for rollerballs and point release slides to indicate warming instabilities.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

More of the same for hiking this weekend: highs in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s under brilliant blue skies.  Get out and enjoy it.  I plan on doing some trail running along the coast in addition to heading out to Cataract Falls.  The conditions couldn’t be better.

Surf Around the Region:  

Last weekend’s epic conditions and the associated photos (see above) continue to make their way around the web.  This weekend the surf has backed off in size and quality quite considerably.  Expect most breaks to be in the head high range with a short period, somewhat disorganized swell in the region.  Sunday a new swell is forecast to arrive and coupled with light winds, it might produce some good conditions out at the beaches.  

Don’t forget about the new Learn to Surf Series starting up in February in Pacifica.  Sign up and let me teach you to surf!

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

January 30, 2015:

Sunrise 0715, Sunset 1731
  Low Tide:  0132   2.6
 High Tide:  0752   6.2
  Low Tide:  1453  -0.1
 High Tide:  2153   4.8

Enjoy your weekend!

SB

Return to Springuary

UPDATED: Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 2:30pm

Summary:

Beyond a few clouds that covered the region yesterday, the small system that moved through failed to bring any relief with the drought.  Tahoe resorts picked up a few inches of snow, but nothing more than a cosmetic dusting.  The second half of the work week will bring sunny skies with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the 40’s to the Bay Area.  Surf around the region is fun sized and clean with head high surf and clean conditions at most breaks.

Around Tahoe:

Squaw and Alpine both reported 4 inches of new snow from the small system that came through yesterday, a pittance compared to the huge snow deficit that we’re experiencing and it was the only measurable snowfall of the month.  Some snow is better than no snow and it sure made the mountains look great:

A dry pattern has returned and the next few days will bring sunny skies and highs near 50 to the Tahoe Sierra.  The wait continues for a big storm...

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger prevails the backcountry.  Below 8000ft. coverage is minimal.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

The dry pattern means great weather around the Bay Area will prevail.  Highs for the rest of the week will be in the low 60’s with cool morning lows in the upper 40’s.  Sunny skies will dominate, so be sure to eat lunch outside or go for a run in the middle of the day if you can.  The weekend’s looking stellar too, perfect for the upcoming Cataract Falls Hike in Marin.

Surf Around the Region:  

The surf out at Ocean Beach and in Pacifica is great right now.  If you can, drop your work, grab your board and start riding the head high beauties coming in.  Waves should remain in the good quality range through tomorrow before onshore winds and a short period swell arrive, chopping things up a bit.  Don’t forget that the Learn to Surf Series starts next month on Feb 22 in Pacifica!  Sign up now!

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

January 28, 2015

Sunrise: 7:15am/ Sunset: 5:30pm

High Tide: 6:01am at 6.2ft/ 19:48 at 4.2ft

Low Tide: 13:00am at 0.5ft

SB

Rain? What's that?

UPDATED: Monday, January 26, 2015: 6:00pm

Summary:

I hope everyone is settling back into the grind nicely after an amazing weather weekend in Northern California.  Along the coast, we had two gorgeous, warm, sunny days.  I led a crew of UD hikers out to Arch Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore and we had an amazing time.

Starting off the week expect highs around the Bay near 60 with lows in the upper 40’s.  We might see a chance of rain Monday night through Tuesday.  Up in Tahoe, expect a chance of rain and snow Tuesday and Tuesday night.  At the beaches surf will continue to be large and powerful, but it will back off as the week progresses before another swell makes its way into the area in time for the weekend.

Around Tahoe:

It’s been almost a month since the last measurable snowfall up in Tahoe and we’re in desperate need of a storm.  Over the next three days, a small system will impact the area with rain and snow, but accumulations will be light and insignificant relative to the need for snow.  The mountains above 7000ft. might get a few inches before the system moves out of the area by Wednesday and we return to a dry pattern for at least another week.  

For more Tahoe snow details, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and follow Tahoe Weather on Facebook.

Backcountry Conditions from the Sierra Avalanche Center:

LOW avy danger dominates the backcountry with the old, shallow snowpack.  The coming storm could produce small wind slabs on high ridgelines if more snow falls than expected.  Check the full report for observations and details.

Hike and Bike Conditions Around the Bay:

The skies clouded over today for the first time in a few weeks as this small system approaches the area.  We could get a few light showers Monday night through Tuesday night, but don’t expect a gullywasher.  Highs will be around 60 for most areas with lows in the 40’s.  By Wednesday we’ll return to mild and dry weather for the foreseeable future.  

Surf Around the Region:  

Big, powerful surf has been in the region for the past few days creating amazing conditions at Ocean Beach.  Surfline.com’s even running features about the past weekend:

A new WNW swell arrived in the region today producing 10-12ft. waves at Ocean Beach and other exposed breaks.  More sheltered spots will have smaller surf.  The swell will back off throughout the week before another 10 foot plus swell arrives in the region in time for the weekend.  

Sunrise/Sunset and Tidal Information:

January 26, 2015

Sunrise: 7:16am/ Sunset: 5:28pm

High Tide: 4:11am at 6.1ft/ 18:51 at 4.4ft

Low Tide: 10:34am at 1.2ft/ 22:13 at 1.5ft

SB

Surfing Bliss

The Heart & The Sea: Official Trailer from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.

Check out this film that I came across last night.  Blissful, golden days surfing beautiful waves.