Cross-Country Skiers are in for a short-lived treat late this month through February if winter storms intense enough to drop several inches to two feet of snow hit San Diego County’s higher mountains. As the …
December 23, 2017
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Stories by Scott Ellis
The fabled green flash
Blood-red flowers, blood-red sunsets
Poinsettias, a favorite of backyard gardeners, are now exhibiting their scarlet, petal-like bracts, just in time for the holidays. The onset of 14-hour-long nights triggers their behavior: In San Diego this condition is met just …
December 2, 2017
Ephemeral snow in Cuyamaca and on Palomar
Cross-Country Skiers are in for a short-lived treat this month through February if winter storms intense enough to drop several inches to two feet of snow hit San Diego County’s higher mountains. As the clouds …
November 27, 2017
Freemont cottonwoods and why rainbows come now
The Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge are now showing their best tawny foliage. You can park at the Old Mission Dam historic site or the Mission Trails Regional Park visitor …
November 18, 2017
Ice crystals, liquidambar, sycamores
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 …
November 11, 2017
Mean temperature on its way to 55 degrees
Acorn Dropping reaches a crescendo early 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 …
October 29, 2017
Cuyamaca's poplars, Palomar's oaks, docile tarantulas
Autumn Color in San Diego County’s mountains reaches its greatest intensity in late October and early November. The forested heights of Palomar Mountain are especially colorful right now. Black oaks on Palomar’s rolling uplands will …
October 14, 2017
Oaks bring fall to Cuyamaca, Laguna, and Palomar mountains
The Floss Silk Tree, a conspicuous “autumn bloomer” here and there around San Diego, has been showing off its pinkish or purplish, hibiscus-like flowers for a few weeks. The broad, heavy trunks of this South …
October 7, 2017
Deepest sand of the year
As the Beach-Going Season Winds Down, San Diego County’s coastline is padded by what is likely the deepest and widest accumulations of sand we’ll see this year. Many stretches of the coastline are vulnerable to …
October 1, 2017
San Diego sunsets 75 seconds earlier every day
The Time of Sunset changes most rapidly this time of the year. This is mainly because the sun is swinging rapidly south along the ecliptic (its apparent path through the background stars). From the latitude …
September 3, 2017
Don’t give up on the beach
Warm Water Temperatures, into the ’70s Fahrenheit over the past several weeks, won’t last much longer. As fall approaches, shorter days and increasingly oblique solar radiation will mean that less and less energy will be …
August 27, 2017
T-storms green up the desert
Thunderstorms have visited the Imperial Valley and parts of eastern San Diego County over the past several weeks. The seasonal arrival of moisture from the east and south, more or less typical for late summer, …
August 12, 2017
Mid-summer treasures: orioles and true jasmine
Orioles, the bright-yellow or yellow-orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County’s coastal areas. A century ago the orioles preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were then …
August 6, 2017
Thunderheads coming
Birdwatchers need not despair now that the winter migrants are gone. Plenty of shore birds can be found on summer evenings in the natural coastal wetland areas of San Diego County. From south to north …
July 17, 2017
2014 San Diego Beer Week: Day 9
Saturday, November 15 Beer Week events Sculpin & Victory At sea Showcase: Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits’ Sculpin IPA and Victory at Sea coffee- and vanlla-infused imperial porter have such massive cult followings, that the …
November 13, 2014