Is it just me or did anyone notice the oxymoronic weather report we received on New Years day? During one weather broadcast, we heard about a “Red Flag Fire Warning” for the Ventura and Santa Barbara County areas, followed by admonitions to stock up on sand bags for an unusually heavy winter storm coming down the Pacific Coast. [If I had a better grasp on technology, I’d have a clickable link here that would make the Scooby Doo sound when he’s really confused. Oh well, use your imagination.]
Can things really change that fast? Red flag followed by flood? The answer, in weather terms, is a resounding “yes!” High pressure systems (hot and dry) are commonly followed by low pressure episodes (cool and wet). January 1 was the peak of high pressure, and now there’s low pressure steaming down the coast to take its place.
A quick amateur weather lesson: When there’s high pressure inland (say, northern Nevada, Utah, etc.), the pressure creates winds that spin out in a clock-wise direction, so winds move from dry inland areas, swoop around toward the west, then squeeze over the coastal range to bring low humidity and gusts up to 70 mph on the mountain tops (Laguna Peak near Point Mugu). All you need is a spark and it’s Red Flag Alert time.
Yes, it’s January, which even on the Left Coast should pass for winter. We don’t get to make snow angels along the coast, but it’s still winter. And we really can have brushfire season while there are still ornaments on the tree.
But today’s forecast is calling for a good drenching, with rain falling on and off for four days. Estimates vary from a high of 6” over the next few days to as little as 2”. Anything is welcome. So, if you still haven’t cleaned the Zaca dust from the last wind storm, it’s Momma Nature to the rescue.
Now for my main point. If the rain is going to fall (not just this weekend, but with good fortune, there are more storms to come) doesn’t it make sense to capture and retain all the free, clean, mineral-free water we can before it reaches the ocean? Yep, I knew you’d agree. I did a full-page article for Coastal Woman Magazine in November on this topic. I’m their new garden columnist. If you want the full story, find one in a free news rack (or Spudnuts!) or download it from the web site. There’s also lots of other great info in the mag, so it’s worth the read. You’ll also get a cute picture of me sitting under an umbrella surrounded by rubber duckies. Precious!
In a nutshell, here are a few things you can do…
1) Consider that irrigation-dependent lawn. If you don’t actually use it for some recreational purpose, maybe it could be converted to a rich bed of native plants or put into food production. If you can’t do away with it completely, maybe downsize? This will reduce your water consumption throughout the year and put that rain to work on a higher purpose.
2) Grading – it might be too late to pull off this winter, but how about creating some low areas in the garden that trap and allow water to seep back into the soil? Of course, you wouldn’t do this right in front of your patio where a giant puddle might find its way into the living room. But there are likely places around your home where you can hold some water until it soaks in.
3) As soon as the soil is dry enough to cultivate again, do a little work with a cultivator or hoe to break up the crusty surface. This will allow more water to soak in rather than run off. Then mulch the bejeebers out of it with some rich organic material. That will keep it from crusting up again and will prevent evaporation later.
4) Where you can, create a berm of soil around the edges of beds, especially on the downhill side. That was every drop gets trapped for your plants.
5) And if you want to be really ambitious, there are rain catchment and storage systems and a few contractors in town who can help you create a way to store all that free stuff. The up-front cost isn’t cheap, but it pays for itself over time.
Okay, I’m spent. Gotta get my rubber boots on and take my rubber duckies for a paddle.
Later, skaters.
Can things really change that fast? Red flag followed by flood? The answer, in weather terms, is a resounding “yes!” High pressure systems (hot and dry) are commonly followed by low pressure episodes (cool and wet). January 1 was the peak of high pressure, and now there’s low pressure steaming down the coast to take its place.
A quick amateur weather lesson: When there’s high pressure inland (say, northern Nevada, Utah, etc.), the pressure creates winds that spin out in a clock-wise direction, so winds move from dry inland areas, swoop around toward the west, then squeeze over the coastal range to bring low humidity and gusts up to 70 mph on the mountain tops (Laguna Peak near Point Mugu). All you need is a spark and it’s Red Flag Alert time.
Yes, it’s January, which even on the Left Coast should pass for winter. We don’t get to make snow angels along the coast, but it’s still winter. And we really can have brushfire season while there are still ornaments on the tree.
But today’s forecast is calling for a good drenching, with rain falling on and off for four days. Estimates vary from a high of 6” over the next few days to as little as 2”. Anything is welcome. So, if you still haven’t cleaned the Zaca dust from the last wind storm, it’s Momma Nature to the rescue.
Now for my main point. If the rain is going to fall (not just this weekend, but with good fortune, there are more storms to come) doesn’t it make sense to capture and retain all the free, clean, mineral-free water we can before it reaches the ocean? Yep, I knew you’d agree. I did a full-page article for Coastal Woman Magazine in November on this topic. I’m their new garden columnist. If you want the full story, find one in a free news rack (or Spudnuts!) or download it from the web site. There’s also lots of other great info in the mag, so it’s worth the read. You’ll also get a cute picture of me sitting under an umbrella surrounded by rubber duckies. Precious!
In a nutshell, here are a few things you can do…
1) Consider that irrigation-dependent lawn. If you don’t actually use it for some recreational purpose, maybe it could be converted to a rich bed of native plants or put into food production. If you can’t do away with it completely, maybe downsize? This will reduce your water consumption throughout the year and put that rain to work on a higher purpose.
2) Grading – it might be too late to pull off this winter, but how about creating some low areas in the garden that trap and allow water to seep back into the soil? Of course, you wouldn’t do this right in front of your patio where a giant puddle might find its way into the living room. But there are likely places around your home where you can hold some water until it soaks in.
3) As soon as the soil is dry enough to cultivate again, do a little work with a cultivator or hoe to break up the crusty surface. This will allow more water to soak in rather than run off. Then mulch the bejeebers out of it with some rich organic material. That will keep it from crusting up again and will prevent evaporation later.
4) Where you can, create a berm of soil around the edges of beds, especially on the downhill side. That was every drop gets trapped for your plants.
5) And if you want to be really ambitious, there are rain catchment and storage systems and a few contractors in town who can help you create a way to store all that free stuff. The up-front cost isn’t cheap, but it pays for itself over time.
Okay, I’m spent. Gotta get my rubber boots on and take my rubber duckies for a paddle.
Later, skaters.
