Record high temperatures this week 20 Degrees above normal (Pine: buying, landlord)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Wet weather means rain, which means clouds/no sun, which means cooler temps and grey skies. Pools and lakes are enjoyed in the warm sunny weather. That is where the complaints come from.




This is my third February here and it has been the same every year (mid to upper 80s). Can't be that odd if it happens 3 years in a row.

Good point, it does seem like it might be time to start mentioning shorter term averages with the news, so while right now may be records by 20 degrees when considering the last 100 years, if you look at the last 5 or 10 years it's probably not all that far off what the Feb levels have been.

Times, they are a changing.

[ElleTea]

Of course I find this weather to be glorious! Perfect for the kick off of Arizona Beer Week and the Strong Beer Festival tomorrow!

[locolife]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Of course I find this weather to be glorious! Perfect for the kick off of Arizona Beer Week and the Strong Beer Festival tomorrow!

Agreed, I'm competing in an outdoor event that runs overnight Saturday, this weather couldn't be more perfect for it. In the past it's been "unseasonably cold" and that really sucks for the night time hours.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by locolife

Agreed, I'm competing in an outdoor event that runs overnight Saturday, this weather couldn't be more perfect for it. In the past it's been "unseasonably cold" and that really sucks for the night time hours.

The WM Phoenix Open had record attendance this year; I am sure the weather played a roll in that!

[ScottsdaleMark]

This is basically as hot as it can get here at this time of year under any potential scenario/hypothesis, as evidenced by the record highs ... essentially everything has aligned to allow for the most solar heating possible. You have an anomalously strong high pressure ridge that has been/will be camped out over the state essentially non-stop for two straight weeks, leading to clear skies, bright sun and little wind/weather impacting us at all the whole time, which had led to record heat. We're basically converting sunlight into heat as efficiently as possible given the angel of the sun and length of the days.

So, no, it's certainly not normal. It's the very definition of extreme based both on historical data and the weather patterns in place.

Also, regarding El Nino, the meteorologists claim it's way too early to wave it off for 2016. As we saw with last year's late spring rains in April/May/June, the impacts can last far beyond the "normal" rainy season and the El Nino continues to strengthen. LINK

So, that gives me some hope. We are about average right now for 2016 precipitation, but about 1/3rd below average for Oct 1-present precipitation so the situation hasn't been completely dire, but certainly we will need some very significant systems if we're going to have a very wet season like everyone expected.

[Heath V]

Nearly 90 degrees on Wednesday... :/

[RCR]

Originally Posted by locolife

Good point, it does seem like it might be time to start mentioning shorter term averages with the news, so while right now may be records by 20 degrees when considering the last 100 years, if you look at the last 5 or 10 years it's probably not all that far off what the Feb levels have been.

Times, they are a changing.

As far as I know the news channels are now going with the 30 year average and have stopped using the 100 year.

[enigmadsm]

I'm a valley native, 85 was feeling a bit toasty...not "hot" but a 20 degree swing in a week, one can feel it.

It's really just perception. 80 degrees in the fall feels great after a summer of 100+ but 80 degrees after a month in the 50s requires a bit of adjustment.

Temperatures have been really great in the evenings!!!! Still not to hot to be outside mid day though either.
Ideal temps for me are 65-75 in the sun, 70-85 at night lol

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

This is basically as hot as it can get here at this time of year under any potential scenario/hypothesis, as evidenced by the record highs ... essentially everything has aligned to allow for the most solar heating possible. You have an anomalously strong high pressure ridge that has been/will be camped out over the state essentially non-stop for two straight weeks, leading to clear skies, bright sun and little wind/weather impacting us at all the whole time, which had led to record heat. We're basically converting sunlight into heat as efficiently as possible given the angel of the sun and length of the days.

So, no, it's certainly not normal. It's the very definition of extreme based both on historical data and the weather patterns in place.

Absolutely right. The recent transplants seem to think this is normal, but it proves how little they know about climatology. February is one of the colder months, and one of the wetter months according to not only the 30 year averages, but the 100+ year averages. The kind of weather we're having now is more normal for late April or early May. It's nice weather and all, but I'd like it more if it took place in the spring instead of now.

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

Also, regarding El Nino, the meteorologists claim it's way too early to wave it off for 2016.

Sorry, but I already waved it off back in December. While El Niño is very strong right now, the usual effects from it in this region only come to fruition if the conditions are right for them. If the subtropical jet is too far south, and/or the main jet is too far north, and these stubborn high pressure systems dominate, El Niño means absolutely nothing to us or much of California.

I clearly pointed out two months ago that NOAA and the media hyped up the effects of El Niño beyond reason, and I've been correct thus far. As a result, many people who were counting on the heavy winter precipitation were (once again) let down. Wouldn't you think the meteorologists could have learned to not exaggerate their predictions based on how badly they screwed up last winter's predictions???

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

As we saw with last year's late spring rains in April/May/June, the impacts can last far beyond the "normal" rainy season and the El Nino continues to strengthen. LINK

So, that gives me some hope. We are about average right now for 2016 precipitation, but about 1/3rd below average for Oct 1-present precipitation so the situation hasn't been completely dire, but certainly we will need some very significant systems if we're going to have a very wet season like everyone expected.

Admittedly, I'm slightly hopeful of a rainy March based on some past winters that were on the dry side, and then March turned out to be quite wet. So yes, there are still some possibilities of a wetter than normal spring this year, but I'm not counting on it. Also, last April was slightly drier than normal, and May only turned out to be one of the wettest on record due to two unusually late Pacific storm systems ... it's not like the entire month was wet. Same with June: we had another late season Pacific storm that combined with tropical moisture on the 5th, and it gave Phoenix the first & only measurable rainfall on that date (a mere 0.16 inch). Could the May & June storms have been attributed to El Niño? Not sure, but the main effects of El Niño are almost always noticed from December through early spring.

[magnum0417]

Originally Posted by elcajones

I wouldn't say so in this case. Outside of the monsoon, San Diego is more humid than the valley, and really. Although the monsoon storms rarely make it in over the mountains, San Diego does get some of the humidity from the monsoon. I remember, shortly before moving here, one summer in San Diego the sky turned orange with dust from the desert and I saw storm clouds off in the distance. We didn't get any dust at ground level but, that must have been one heck of a dust storm in the Imperial Valley.

You from El Cajon ? You should be used to 90s and 100s. El Cajon gets those santa anas and heats up into the 100s at times every year.