“God writes not in the Bible alone, but also on trees and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” ~ Martin Luther

Early Monday morning the Santa Ana winds began gusting across the Crescenta Valley. Not only were the skies swept clear but temperatures also began to rise. Until then, the remnants, i.e. clouds, of last week’s storms lingered on, seemingly for our visual enjoyment. Those in winter, and now spring, have appeared bigger, billowier and more beautifully amazing than ever before. The nature of clouds is often an indicator of impending as well as current weather. Meteorologists are on 24-hour watch, watching either from the ground looking up or from satellites looking down.

With winds as the paintbrush and clouds the medium, upon their canvas – the earth – a priceless masterpiece is created. There is science behind the beauty …

A typical cumulus cloud is about 3,280 feet across and usually roughly cubical, so is 3,280 feet long and 3,280 feet tall as well. At maximum capacity, before a rainstorm, a typical cumulus cloud weighs in at 1.1 million pounds. To be politically correct, the equivocal would be 100 elephants or 2,500 donkeys!

Interestingly, a cloud is less dense than dry air, so it floats. How so? The trillions of tiny water droplets in a single cloud spread out over a very large space. These droplets are so small that it takes approximately one million to make one raindrop. Updrafts of warm air aid in keeping clouds afloat as well.

Cloudless skies and mild temperatures are predicted for Easter sunrise services, Easter egg hunts and Passover festivities. Inland Valley may reach 80s while clear-by-noon fog is expected along the coastline. The formation of a storm to arrive next Friday is under watchful eye.

May the “March miracle” continue on to April showers…