“Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s all right …
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.”
~ George Harrison, “Here Comes the Sun” lyrics

The above song lyrics were inspired by the long winters in England that Beatle George Harrison thought went on forever.

“It was just sunny and it was just the release of that tension that had been building up on me,” according to a 1969 BBC Radio interview.

The lyrics use the sun as a sign and metaphor of relief and peace with Harrison happy to see the sun again. If ever there was a time in Southern California when more sun than rain would be welcomed, it’s now – winter 2020-21.

Many mountain ranges sit blackened by wildfire as record heat scorched the Golden State through fall. Daytime temperatures in Los Angeles hovered around 80 degrees through Thanksgiving. Aside from the most recent storms, Southern California had experienced scant rain since March and April. With no precipitation in the current forecast, much of the state is experiencing extremely dry or drought conditions again.

Ordinarily all my senses are heightened, on alert for the next rain system to move through our “neck of the woods.” Not the case this year; like many of you I crave being outdoors in the open space and sunshine. With kids cooped up at home, learning in front of a screen, and their adults working from home, once their day ends or the weekend arrives out the door they go! Clearly the true winners are the dogs … lots of walks!

In a year beset by upsets on comes La Niña with a seasonal gift of warm dry conditions. A typical La Niña winter in the U.S. brings cold and snow to the northwest and unusually dry conditions to most of the southern tier of the U.S., according to the NWS Prediction Center. Such conditions will prevail across much of California and the Southwest this winter. La Niña occurs when below-average sea surface temperatures dominate across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Winds blow warm water west across the Pacific, affecting rainfall and weather patterns around the world. It happens every few years, often punctuated by the opposite condition and the more popularly known El Niño.

Not a drop of rain is in the forecast. Now on the other side of the solstice, thankfully the amount of daylight increases. Yes, we desperately need rain but our wishes are just that – wishes. See these sunshiny days as a time to greet a neighbor or explore the foothills.

“It’s all right …”

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley
resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.