Weather in the Foothills

“I think we are bound to, and by, nature. We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there’s a snowstorm or drought we know our fate is tied to the world around us.”

~ Alice Hoffman, American novelist

It’s time to open the local watering hole for the season. Daytime highs, as thermometers rise, indicate, “Yes.” Nighttime lows, still a chilly mid-50s on the other hand, say, “Maybe.”

As I like pool temperatures to be on par with waters off a South Sea island, a boost from So. Cal Gas becomes a pre-requisite. Summer is truly beckoning …

The first day of summer is June 20 though Memorial Day is oftentimes given this credit. The last day of school is a good jumping off point as well. Back in the “olden days” of the 1960s kids had a three-month summer break, a period brimming with kid-driven possibilities. Even nowadays, my mood becomes elevated as I anticipate the long warm evenings of summer. There are a few “without a doubts” as to activities planned for this time of year. Our street is a friendly one; there stands an unspoken invitation. Neighbors gather here and there to chat and even enjoy a cool drink together. As the pavement cools and the potential for burned paws lessens, out come the dogs as well. Time in the pool is a given and is almost synonymous with the word “summer.” A necessary crescendo is under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl. In spite of the awful parking, being there is on par with being in the Eastern Sierra. With hopes and prayers our local hometown fireworks display will light up our local sky!

There’s a flip side to the fun, though, that cannot be forgotten amid the summer fun – our water reserves are running low. Above normal temperatures and wildland fires have become an every summer event. And one more thing … the below average rainfall totals for 2020-21 have left us in the dust. According to many climatologists, the drought has returned.

During times of drought, vegetation is visibly dry, the flow of streams and rivers decline, water levels in lakes and reservoirs fall. As drought persists, longer term impacts can emerge, such as land subsidence (sinking) caused by low water levels in underground aquifers, seawater intrusion and damage to ecosystems. State reservoirs, our primary source for water, are concerningly low. Local wells are “holding their own” thus far. The rains have come and gone.

A marine layer brings fog and cool temperatures for today – Thursday – and Friday. Come the weekend, mild May temperatures will settle in. As for the pool …

Interesting note: On Tuesday a fierce storm hit Birmingham, Alabama. A torrential seven inches of rain fell. Our entire season totaled 7.19 inches.

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