California in state of emergency - Snow in LA metro area

[MetSul Weather Center]

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed a state of emergency throughout California because of extremely low temperatures forecast for Friday night. In the statement the governor said, "Conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist throughout the state of California as a result of extreme low temperatures and freezing conditions beginning on Jan. 11". The governor also directed state agencies to activate the extreme temperature protocols established last year to assist the most vulnerable populations in the state. Here is the AP wire:

(AP) SACRAMENTO Governor Schwarzenegger has issued an emergency weather proclamation for California because of freezing conditions. The proclamation provides financial support for local communities. The California National Guard will open additional armories as temporary warming facilities. The California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Department of Social Services, and California Volunteers will work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide fair grounds as temporary housing.

Some pictures:

SNOW IN LOWLAND AREAS OF SOUTH CAL (Just East of LA)

http://www.metsul.com/secoes/visualiza. ... _texto=494

CYTRUS FREEZING

http://www.metsul.com/secoes/visualiza. ... _texto=495

[Aslkahuna]

The degree of cold that is expected in SoCA is on the extreme side for them and many there are not used to it (not to mention the homeless as well as the Agricultural interests). Here in Sierra Vista we see lows in the teens (F) and even singles so we can cope but you're talking lows in the 20's for areas that rarely see lows below 32F (Phoenix is also in a freeze warning).

Steve

[MetSul Weather Center]

Hi Aslkahuna !! Nice to talk to you !! Fresno is expecting the lowest temperature since 1998. Los Angeles County may break all-time daily records for January 13 and 14. It is in fact extreme to So Cal. Last winter (July) we had an incredible three-werk warm spell and then a brutal cold blast with severe frost. In just a week we went from 98F to 22F and snow and frost. These radical changes are now taking place also in the US.

[MetSul Weather Center]

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
315 AM PST SAT JAN 13 2007

...WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZES ARE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING AND AGAIN LATE TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING..

.AN EXTREMELY COLD AND DRY AIRMASS WILL PERSIST ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN
CALIFORNIA THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. THIS HAS BROUGHT RECORD OR NEAR
RECORD COLD TO SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING...WITH
HARD FREEZES IN MANY AREAS. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN SPARED
THE EXTREME COLD BY SOME LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...IF THE
WIND DROPS OFF IN THESE AREAS BEFORE SUNRISE...WHICH IS VERY
POSSIBLE...TEMPERATURES IN THOSE LOCATIONS WILL PLUMMET.

SINCE LESS IN THE WAY OF WIND IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SUNDAY
MORNING...TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE LOWER...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
COASTAL AND VALLEY SECTIONS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES.
AREAS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE PARTICULAR HARD HIT BY FREEZES
LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING INCLUDE THE SOUTH COAST OF SANTA
BABARA COUNTY...COASTAL AND VALLEY SECTIONS OF VENTURA COUNTY..
AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS. IN THESE AREAS...TEMPERATURES
WILL LIKELY DROP INTO THE 20S TONIGHT...AT LEAST IN LOCATIONS
THAT DO NOT HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF WIND. LOWS COULD EVEN DROP
INTO THE UPPER TEENS IN THE COLDER WIND SHELTERED LOCATIONS IN THE
VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES TONIGHT.

AT THIS TIME...IT DOES NOT APPEAR AS THOUGH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY
COAST WILL HAVE A WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZE THIS WEEKEND. HOWEVER..
THERE WILL LIKELY BE AREAS OF FROST EARLY THIS MORNING...AND AGAIN
LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING...AND TEMPERATURES THERE MAY DROP TO
FREEZING OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS LATE TONIGHT.
FROST ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY COASTAL
ZONE THIS MORNING. THEY WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED AGAIN FOR LATE
TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...SINCE TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY
BE A COUPLE OF DEGREES LOWER.

[Dean4Storms]

That global warming thing.

[Dr. Jonah Rainwater]

That global warming thing.

I blame El Nino.

[MetSul Weather Center]

That global warming thing.

I blame El Nino.

That global warming thing......

It is interesting that the last time the state of California saw a cold blast like this was in 1998. As you remember, the 1997/1998 was a Super El Niño. This Niño episode now is weak and the strenght has been weakening for some weeks in the Pacific. NOAA, yesterday, pointed in its monthly ENSO Diagnostic Discussion that warm conditions could extended to May in the Pacific. We disagree. NOAA is working on the idea that another Kelvin Wave could extends a litlle further this episode. Looking daily to indexes, models and SSTs in the Pacific we believe the Bureau of Meteorology of Australia (BOM) is right at the point. El Niño should be gone by fall (SH) / spring (NH). La Niña is a possibility to 2007, mainly to the second half of he winter. This idea has a major impact on tropical activity. This forum will be much busier than 2006 from August to October.

[Aslkahuna]

Remember that one result of GW is that we see more extremes of both warm AND cold since adding energy to the atmosphere can result in that happening.

Steve

[MetSul Weather Center]

Remember that one result of GW is that we see more extremes of both warm AND cold since adding energy to the atmosphere can result in that happening.

Steve

Steve

Thai is true !!! Many papers claim that global warming will increase the frequency of extreme events. The WMO published a report some years ago with that conclusion.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0703-05.htm

As this California event is isolated it is hard to tell, I am sure you gonna agree, that there is a connection to climate change.

Alexandre

[Aslkahuna]

Such events are uncommon but not unheard of for SoCA.

Steve

[MetSul Weather Center]

Such events are uncommon but not unheard of for SoCA.

Steve

In fact, it is rare but not uncommon.

The mercury in downtown Los Angeles hit 36 degrees shortly after sunrise Sunday, breaking the old record of 37 degrees set in 1932, according to the National Weather Service.

Ice formed on the ground overnight in places such as Porter Ranch, the San Diego (405) Freeway in Sherman Oaks, where a water main broke Saturday night. The Antelope Valley (14) Freeway was also closed overnight in Agua Dulce Road due to ice as well.

The low in downtown was recorded at 7:24 a.m., according to the NWS. The old record was 37 degrees.

In Woodland Hills, the low was 20 degrees, tying the old record set in 1963.

On the Santa Monica Pier, the low was 39 degrees, tying the old record, also set in 1963.

Manhattan Beach reached 28 degrees, according to KFWB radio.

Lows in the Santa Clarita Valley were in the 20's overnight.

Long Beach tied its old record of 33 degrees set in 1963. In Sandberg, the temperature hit 21 degrees, tying the old record set in 1962.

Other records included:
- 35 degrees at Los Angeles International Airport, breaking the old record of 36 degrees set in 1963;
- 27 degrees in Burbank, breaking the old record of 30, set in 1963;
- 3 degrees in Lancaster, breaking the record of 10, set in 1963;
- 12 degrees in Palmdale, breaking the record of 13 set in 1963.

Around the Bay Area, temperatures dropped into the 20s and lower to mid-30s. The coldest measurements came from Livermore airport, where it was 20 degrees. New records were set in San Rafael, where it was 28 degrees overnight, beating a record low of 32 in 1997. And temperatures at the Oakland airport dipped to 28, the coldest since 1929, and in downtown Oakland to 33, the lowest since 1997.

Monterey experienced lows of 27 degrees, one degree colder than the previous record of 28 degrees in 1963. Sacramento tied its record low of 22 degrees, last measured in 1949.

[Aslkahuna]

That was CA. Some records were set in the low deserts of AZ as well as northern AZ but though the temperatures may set daily records here in the San Pedro Valley we have a long way to go to break monthly records here.

Steve

[Dean4Storms]

Well there is no doubt that overall average temps have been above normal this winter thus far, but it looks like that is about to change. The rest of this month looks much more winterlike and even the deep south looks poised to see old man winter.

[GalvestonDuck]

Snow? Really?

[aveosmth]

It has finally happened!!!

About 3pm today it snowed for about 5 to 10 minutes in West LA where I work. I can not tell you how many times I have waited, and how many people said it would never happen; but it did!!

It finally snowed in LA!!!!!!!

[Extremeweatherguy]

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_017131639.html

What a weird winter! flurries in Orlando in NOVEMBER, Snow in L.A., ice in Houston...

what's next I wonder?

[wxmann_91]

It has finally happened!!!

About 3pm today it snowed for about 5 to 10 minutes in West LA where I work. I can not tell you how many times I have waited, and how many people said it would never happen; but it did!!

It finally snowed in LA!!!!!!!

No snow, or even rain for that matter, here.

[Brent]

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_017131639.html

What a weird winter! flurries in Orlando in NOVEMBER, Snow in L.A., ice in Houston...

what's next I wonder?

It has officially snowed everywhere but here.

Unbelievable really. LOS ANGELES!

[angelwing]

Well 2006 hurricane season was a bust, now we're having a freaky winter....what's next?

[MetSul Weather Center]

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_017131639.html

What a weird winter! flurries in Orlando in NOVEMBER, Snow in L.A., ice in Houston...

what's next I wonder?

I was thinking on a word to describe snow in Malibu: surreal. Well, that is the word I just saw in the front page of the LA Times Online. Just incredible.