“Rain! Whose soft architectural hands have the power to cut stones and chisel to shapes of grandeur the very mountains.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century clergyman, author,
anti-slavery activist and social reformer

At last! Real rain came pouring forth from Monday’s night sky and continued falling throughout Tuesday. Its fanfare was such that it lit up the just after midnight sky. If the visual effects were not an adequate attention-getter, the sounds of thunder and wind were. Such weather events I find exhilarating. Now, on the other paw, a trembling, panting and wet Golden in your bed tells a different story. Said storm was considered the first of the season with a substantial rainfall grand total of 1.80 inches. The not-so-grand season total is few drops over two inches. More, please …
Tournament of Roses officials, parade participants, float builders and parade goers would begin watching long range weather forecasts as Jan. 1 drew near as few like rain on their parade. Rain has come down on the parade only 10 times since 1890. The most recent rainy New Year’s Day was in 2006, according to the National Weather Service. The wildest time was in 1934 when the parade proceeded during a heavy rainstorm; 6.21 inches drowned Pasadena. Our local foothills and valleys got the brunt of the rainstorm. The Rose Parade has never canceled because of weather.

Maybe the weather was never able to halt the parade, but World War II did in 1942, 1943 and 1945, according to the Tournament of Roses Chief Executive David Eads. The federal government, for reasons of national security, prohibited large public gatherings on the West Coast. The first significant canceled event was the Rose Parade slated for Jan. 1, 1942; Pearl Harbor had just been bombed three weeks earlier. Parade organizers, in considering the tragedy and somber mood, canceled the parade.

“In the war effort, there was no availability of materials,” Eads said. “You couldn’t get iron or steel to build the floats. All of that was going into the war effort.”

He added, “In 1944 a token parade was held but it was a far cry from the floral extravaganza we’ve come to expect from the most famous New Year’s Day parade around.”

Now add one more reason for cancellation to the history books … a worldwide pandemic in 2020.
Dry and slightly warmer weather, including Santa Ana winds, are forecast into next week. Daytime temperatures will stay below 70 degrees and nighttime in the mid 40s. Having come down from northern California, a series of southbound weather systems are expected to reach us by Wednesday. Not sure of their timing, but they are bringing possibilities of good rain. Increased chances of rain and late mountain snow are in the weather works predicted for next Friday. Before there’s a mad rush for one, you may want to get a rain gauge. They’re fun, educational and safe.

A Healthy and Calm 2021 to You!

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