“No one can know the infinite importance of a tiny drop of water better than a thirsty bird or a little ant or a man of desert!”
~ Mehmet Murat Ildan, Turkish writer

Just what we needed – warm and sunny weather. Yesterday’s temperature reached into the 80s, under clear blue skies. This abrupt and very welcome change was accompanied by mild Santa Ana winds that blew across the foothills. A winter-like show of a light scattering of snowflakes fell atop Mt. Lukens in the wake of last week’s storm. Hang on to your umbrella; we aren’t quite finished with our spring showers.
At present, the 2019-20 Rainfall Total stands at 19.20 inches. The season got off to a slow, slow start in the way of precipitation. Thankfully, spring showers proved to be more plentiful than ever, but we still fall short of our projected average rainfall of 23-24 inches. Average is the key here; during periods of drought rain totals may fall below 10 inches while a good El Niño can bump totals well over 30 inches. What does it mean?
Our climate and resulting weather are unique. The southern parts of California are categorized as a Mediterranean climate, defined by slightly rainy winters and dry summers. Moving farther inland and away from the coast, the climate shifts with its now closer proximately to the desert. It becomes semi-arid with colder winters and hotter summers. We are settled between the two. Valleys, such as CV, tend toward long, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.
The windblown heat of the Santa Anas returned to their source – the desert. Today is expected to be much cooler with increasing clouds. A low system was projected to continue moving down from Oregon. If all the components come together, there’s a chance of showers tomorrow, Friday. Partly cloudy and cool temperatures will hang around over the weekend. Come Monday, there’s a chance of light rain … again. Will we reach average? Maybe not rain-wise, but we’re above average in every other way!

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