~ At twelve o’clock you must be ready,
and hold your pumpkin steady.
For by its rays of candlelight,
On Halloween all things are bright! ~
                                                         From a vintage postcard

Redwoods, pumpkins and rainbows. Common theme here ? Absolutely …

Last weekend found us in the northern most reaches of California, the wilds of Humboldt County to visit our son at college (not to search for Bigfoot) although if such a creature does exists, it is the perfect place – dark, fog shrouded and densely forested. Fitting for a Halloween haunt or in our case homecoming and family weekend at Humboldt State University.

We flew out on Friday under cloudy conditions. The awe of looking down at clouds from above will always be with me. A slight chance of rain had been predicted during our absence, but according to the rain gauge nothing measurable fell. But the temperatures certainly took a nosedive – 30-40 degrees. Real autumn weather … at last.

Autumn comes to the coastal rainforest of northern California as well. Amidst the groves of redwoods are other tree species displaying an array of fall foliage colors. Breathtaking, as the rain, fog and sun are constantly interacting.

The experience of growing pumpkins and apples in La Crescenta is an interesting one although the outcome was disappointing. Our son mentioned a “great place” to go apple picking.     “Oh, and they also grow pumpkins there,” he added. Really? In the redwoods?  Odd combination it seemed. Not really – both pumpkins and apples require loads of water. How about a rain forest? Ideal conditions.

Upon leaving Humboldt, a rainbow arced across the sky beginning in the Pacific Ocean and ending in the redwoods. A storm system arrived in the northwest and we landed home to a forecast of high temperatures, low humidity and an elevated fire danger.

And as I write, the wind chimes are tuning-up for a good show.

The main topic in this forecast is wind … the strongest is expected Friday into Saturday with gusts of 60-65 MPH in L.A. County below the passes and canyons. The Crescenta Valley is on this “event map.” Daytime temperatures in the 80s and nights around 50 are likely. Besides wind damage, fire danger is always a concern. This is fall in the foothills…

Halloween Forecast – Two days past full moon, plenty of dark and scary with a 10% chance of rain, cool breezes are the ingredients of this year’s cauldron. And lots of fun!

Historical Weather – Oct. 25
High – 95 (1965)
Low – 43 (1971)

Rainfall Totals 2012-13
Season (to date)- 1.86
October 1.77

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

  Sue Kilpatrick