Outdoors
Sunday is Saint Brigid’s Day, One Of The Four Traditional “Cross-Quarter” Days midway between the solstices and the equinoxes. It’s named after Brigantia, the Celtic female deity of light, because the sun is halfway along …
Gray Whale Migration Off San Diego County’s Coast peaks this month. The best view spots from land are high points close to the surf. Aside from the whale-watching overlook at Cabrillo National Monument, try Sunset …
Ornamental Pear Trees, one of the earliest-to-bloom trees in San Diego, are just beginning to bear their white flowers. The thousands of blossoms appear in sheets and clusters, looking rather like snow when viewed from …
We Are Off To One Of The Slowest Rainy Season Starts In San Diego’s History. After above-average rainfall seasons in 2023 and 2024, we’ve recorded less than an inch headed into 2025 with no chance …
Recent Chilly Days And Nights Are A Reminder that San Diego’s lowest temperatures (according to more than a century of weather records) tend to occur during the month of January. January’s mean temperature at Lindbergh …
Hike Off Those Holiday Calories in San Diego County’s High Places and take advantage of December’s characteristically clear air. From spots such as Cuyamaca Peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Wooded Hill in the Laguna …
Toyon, or “Christmas berry,” one of the more distinctive shrubs of southern California’s native chaparral plant community, has begun to flaunt clusters of red berries. Hollywood (California) derives its name from the holly-like appearance of …
Shorebird-Watching Enters Its Most Agreeable Season This Month, with migrant and resident birds sharing common winter grounds. Egrets, herons, terns, pelicans, and a variety of other species provide endless entertainment as they go about the …
Atmospheric Ice-crystal Effects Are Often Observed, starting about this time of year, because of the frequent appearance of high clouds made of tiny bits of ice. The most familiar of these optical effects is the …
Acorn Dropping Reaches A Crescendo This Month in the Cuyamaca, Laguna, and Palomar mountains. Wiry scrub oaks, massive canyon live oaks, and the golden-leaved black oaks all contribute to the growing collection of acorns littering …
Santa Ana Winds in San Diego County often reach their greatest intensity during November, particularly in the mountain passes, where dry air from a high-pressure area over the interior deserts swoops coastward toward a low-pressure …