The week in review!
Southern Calif was as spared from any tsunami action, but north of Point Conception it was a different story. Santa Cruz Harbor Crescent City up by the Oregon border had damage. If you’ll recall, Crescent City really took a beating from the Good Friday in March of 1964. Depoe BY ns Lincoln City in Oregon had extensive damage as well.
Since Friday’s monster shaker in Japan, there has been more than 200 aftershocks measuring 5 or higher on the Richter Scale with one shock a 7.1 and another a 6.8. Even a nuclear power plant is looking at possible melt down over there. Since the epicenter was only 60 miles offshore-the tsunami arrived only minutes later as tidal waves travel about 500 mph, so there was little or no warning for the 23 foot monster.
The 9.0 was the 4th strongest quake in the world since 1900 And the strongest in Japan’s recorded history of such events. It was the strongest quake in over a year since the 8.8 in Chile on Feb 27th,2010. Sunday marked the beginning of Daylight savings Time with the adjusted sunrise at 7:04 AM and sunset at 6:58 PM. We don’t turn the clocks back an hour until the frist Sunday in Nov.
Last Monday’s rain totaled 0.20in. upping the 2010-11 season total to 20.02 in. normal to date is 11.31.in, last year this date we were at 15.02 in., it’s the first time since the 2004-05 season we’ve exceeded 20in.
Last Wednesday I saw dozens of dolphins close to shore at Main Beach, must’ve seen 50 or more of ‘em, they must have been feeding.
Following last Monday’s light rain, it was really nice for the most part, just a touch of A.M. marine layer, and Wednesday it got up to 76 degrees normal high for the date is 68. By the end of this week we might see some changes, the jet stream is supposed to shift south over California opening the door for rain bearing low pressure systems.
Laguna’s surrounding hills and canyons are as green as can be as gererous moisture this season has been good for the greenbelt.
Oceans temps. remain burly at 53 degrees, McWeather doesn’t paddle out anymore when it’s that cold. He’ll wait til it’s at least 60 degrees, I hate wet suits, so now I’m just a summer kook!
Speaking of summer, I’m thinking the upcoming one will be pretty decent, as anything’s better than last year’s disaster. I still can’t get over the 55 degree water temps last August! It never even reached 70 degrees once!
Since my daily records started way back in 1958, I’ve never seen the water temp do that! It’s unlikely It’ll do that again any time soon.
Dennis McTighe served as a meteorologist at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii from 1969 to 1972, and was an NOAA forecaster and earned a degree in Earth Sciences from UC San Diego and has been keeping daily weather records since 1958.
