Yesterday an exciting pressure chart came my way via the indefatiguable John Fleck of the Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, which has had no perceptible precipitation to date this winter, is as interested in the so-called "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge" of high pressure that has been blocking any possible weather from the Pacific as we are here in California.
So it's exciting when that "RRR" shows signs of breaking down. John put up this chart from the National Weather Service (NWS):
Chatted about this with the helpful meteorologist John Sucop at the Oxnard office of the NWS. He said that models (available to the public here at an NCEP site — check out the loops) show the ridge breaking down by the edge of the month as low pressure systems continue to hit it.
Of course the ridge could reform: that happens all the time. But the anomaly can't last forever.
In the meanwhile, might as well take advantage of the anomaly and go hike the San Gabriel Mountains in the winter, when it's mild, bugless, and lacking snow. Usually those hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, section D, are told to wait until May until the snow passes — not this year.
Kit Stolz 