TWC

Am I the only one who hates the way the Weather Channel covers the west? "Atlanta has received almost half an inch of rain today, causing slick roads. Oh, and there was some flooding and mudslides and stuff in California. We go now to Jane who has more details on the Atlanta situation..."

Heat Wave Coming

Every fall in Northern California, the coastal zones get a taste of the torrid heat the interior zones have been sweating under all summer, and such an event is shaping up for this coming week. Highs will be well into the 90s, even in coastal areas, and just inland from the coastal hills the temps will be up around 110.

I have decidedly mixed feelings about this: on one hand, it is nice to be able to go to the beach and wear something lighter than a parka (I'm only slightly exaggerating): on the other, no one near the coast has air conditioning, so trying to drop off to sleep when the temperature in your apartment is 85 degrees is not much fun.

One thing nice about it is what it portends: fall heatwave = rainy season coming soon, which means green grass and new life. Sweet.

Summer Showers

So today, smack in the middle of California's summer dry season, the sky opened up and it poured rain, causing my Berkeley neighbors to make surprised noises and scramble to move their barbecue implements under the eaves, and another neighbor lady to dash outside and pull her clothes off the line.

I grabbed my umbrella and took a walk, and immersed myself in the sight of cars swishing by, their wipers making rhythmic clicking sounds, and couples drawing close under shared umbrellas, with the smell of freshly-wet dust filling the air. To top it all off, there was a double rainbow, brilliant against the dark-clouded sky.

What a treat.

Tropical Storm Gustav

As I write this, Gustav has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but will be back up to hurricane strength once it clears Haiti and gets back out over the warm waters of the Caribbean.

One of my hobbies is meteorology, and the ingredients for Gustav becoming a monster may come together in the next few days: low shear, high water temperatures, and a track that will be almost entirely over water - notice too that the middle of the track gets pretty close to some areas devastated by Katrina. My prayers go out to my Gulf Coast readers.