2023-2024 Rainfall Season in Review and Comparison

Sunday, June 30th, marks the end of the California Rainfall Season that began last July 1st. This is a review of the past 12 months' precipitation and a comparison to last year and the 30-year normals. Overall, Northern California checks in close to normal, while Central and Southern California locations were above normal. In general, totals were less than the 2022-2023 rainfall season. The distribution was fairly typical for an El Niño winter, with the largest positive anomalies south of the Tehachapis. It should be noted that all three of the Sierra Precipitation Indices ended up below normal, a critical source of the State's water supply, but given last year's abundant precipitation, most reservoirs are close to full.



 













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2024 Hurricane Resource Guide


With tropical storm activity beginning to ramp up, the 2024 Hurricane Resource Guide has been updated. This Guide is designed as a single source jumping off page to find current forecasts, tracks, satellite imagery, and backgrounder information for all things hurricane, typhoon, and tropical cyclone related.
 

Comments, errata and additions are always welcome.

Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather

 

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2024 Fire Weather Resources


As we move further into the hotter and drier months, a critical and increasing concern is fire weather. To that end, I have updated the webpage Fire Weather Resources (http://ggweather.com/firewx.htm). Though somewhat California-centric, the page has numerous pathways to data throughout the US. 



Please let me know of any errors or omissions.

Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Phone: (650) 712-1876
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather

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Celebrating 50 Years of Meteorology

 

 

This month marks the 50th Anniversary of my graduating from UC Davis and starting my career as a meteorologist. It’s been a great journey, and I am blessed for both the challenges and friendships along the way. And to answer the inevitable question, no, I don’t plan on stopping as long as it’s fun and engaging!

I have been fortunate to parlay my 23+ years as a National Weather Service forecaster into a second career, now over 26 years, as the  founder of Golden Gate Weather Services and a successful Certified Consulting Meteorologist. I am proud of both, and they have been extremely satisfying.

My Timeline:
1974: BS Atmospheric Science, UC Davis
1974-1975: Meteorologist Intern – WFO SFO Airport
1976-1980: Meteorologist – WSFO Redwood City
1980-1983: Meteorologist-in-Charge – CWSU Oakland ARTCC
1983-1994: Lead Forecaster – WSFO Redwood City
1994-1997: Lead Forecaster – WSFO Monterey
1998-present: Founder – Golden Gate Weather Services

Along the way I have been able to teach, both formally and informally, this subject that I love, as well as working on a variety of exciting projects.
also…
1987-2014: Lecturer/Adjunct Professor – SF State University
1999-2000:  Director of Meteorology, Planetweather.com
1998-2004: Columnist, San Jose Mercury News, “The Weather Corner”
2014-present: Lecturer/Adjunct Professor - SJ State University

For over the past 23 years that has included a passion project of studying the meteorology and circumstances surrounding the tragedy of hot car child deaths. Hopefully this research will provide information (see https://www.noheatstroke.org/) will help save some precious young lives.

National Awards and Highlights:
1996: AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist
2011: NWA Public Education Award, for “… awareness of the dangers of hyperthermia …”
2013: NHTSA Public Service Award, for “… exceptional commitment, vision and tireless work to raise public awareness on the issue of heatstroke”
2015: U.S. Congressional Briefing- “The Impacts of El Niño on the U.S.”
2023: AMS Henry T. Harrison Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Consulting Meteorologist
 

Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather

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California Precipitation and Temperature Normals

I have put together a page for quick and easy access to monthly California precipitation and temperature normals (1991-2020). Note that I have sorted the precipitation data by the California rainfall season of July to June. 



Main Page
- Precipitation
- Maximum Temperatures
- MinimumTemperatures
- Mean Temperatures

I have formatted the pages so that they should simply cut-and-paste directly into a spreadsheet, but if you have an issue drop me a note and I will send you the Excel files.

Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather


 






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The 8-Station Index Reaches 100% of Normal

The 8-Station Index has reached 100% of normal for the first time this winter.  

The 8SI Sierra Nevada Precipitation Index is arguably the single most important metric of California water supply. It’s a snapshot of the overall wetness that includes both snowpack and rainfall for the major watersheds of the upper Sacramento, Feather, Yuba, and American Rivers. These in turn feed into some of the largest of the California reservoirs (i.e., Shasta, Oroville, and Folsom).



As of February 21, 2024, the seasonal (i.e., July 1 to June 30) rainfall was 35.14”, compared to a normal of 35.12” for this date. [Normal for the entire July 1 to June 30 season is 52.81".]



Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Office: (650) 712-1876
Mobile: (510) 928-2824
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com

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El Niño Winter Forecasts - Past and Present


 

This is a consolidation of the forecasts for last winter (2022-2023) and what eventually occurred as well as five of the forecasts for this upcoming winter (2023-2024). They are in two sets, one for the period of December-January-February (DJF) and then January, February-March (JFM). All of the forecasts from last year and this year were made in September. (In another post, I will look at how some of the forecasts evolved through subsequent months). I will leave it to the viewer to evaluate the veracity of last winter's forecasts. 


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Half Moon Bay Buoy Returns to Service with a Saildrone


Since 1980, the Half Moon Bay Buoy (officially National Buoy Data Center #46012) has been monitoring weather, sea, and wave conditions off the coast. Besides being used by meteorologists for their forecasts, fishermen, boaters, surfers, and scientists rely on it to monitor conditions. Anchored about 24 miles west-southwest of Pillar Point, the buoy collects and transmits a wide array of meteorological and oceanographic parameters (i.e., wind speed, wind direction, wind gusts, air temperature, dew point temperature, sea temperature, sea-level pressure, significant wave height, average wave period and dominant wave period) that is archived by the National Buoy Data Center.

In February Buoy 46012 failed and was towed to port.  Earlier this month, as an interim measure, the buoy was replaced with a Saildrone; an uncrewed data-collecting platform that will monitor the same parameters that the previous buoy did. Saildrones are made by an Alameda company, Saildrone Inc. They are bright red vessels, with a 23-foot-long double-kayak body topped by a sail containing an array of sensors and solar panels. In addition to taking stationary buoy measurements, there are literally fleets of Saildrones deployed around the world’s oceans collecting data for a wide array of scientific missions. See https://www.cnet.com/science/autonomous-saildrones-are-the-newest-weapon-in-fighting-climate-change/

The Half Moon Bay Saildrone will be active until at least June 2024. At that time it is to be decided by the National Weather Service if a buoy will be redeployed.


Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather


 

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2022-2023 California Rainfall Season in Review


Today marks the end of the very impressively wet 2022-2023 California rainfall season which began on July 1st. [See https://ggweather.posthaven.com/rainfall-season-vs-water-year for a discussion of why this differs from the Water Year traditionally used by hydrologists]. And while the rainfall totals are huge compared to recent years, they fell well short of being the all-time wettest. Additional links to some of this data can be found at: https://ggweather.com/ca2022rain.htm and https://ggweather.com/seasonal_rain.htm. 




 








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Background Info re Hot Car Child Deaths

Background Info re Hot Car Child Deaths

 

With some warm to hot weather (finlly) on tap for the inland parts of SF Bay Area and interior California, the risk of hyperthermia and possibly heatstroke rises for children, pets, and the elderly. Below are a couple of fact sheets that I hope you will share. There is also a wealth of information available at https://www.noheatstroke.org/ that can be freely used and shared. And by just the right person seeing it, you might save a life.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Jan Null, CCM
Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Golden Gate Weather Services
Phone: (650) 712-1876
Email: jnull@ggweather.com
Web: http://ggweather.com
Twitter: @ggweather

 

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