Return of the Santa Anas
Santa Anas, Hot and Smoggy Days, Zodiacal Light
Late September signals the beginning of Santa Ana winds, which may continue intermittently through the winter. Early Santa Anas are often responsible for coastal San Diego's hottest and driest days of the year. Records show that 62 percent of the …
Fall Officially Begins
Fall officially begins at 8:44 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Monday, September 22 -- a good excuse to throw a "thank-God-it's-Monday-morning" party to celebrate the occasion and kick off the work week. At equinox, the sun shines directly down somewhere …
Earlier Sunsets, Coastal Sage, and a Harvest Moon
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 of San Diego, the sun …
Summer Thundershowers, Chaparral, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the Waxing Moon
Summer Thundershowers, Chaparral, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the Waxing Moon
Summer thundershowers, having blessed the eastern margin of San Diego County with welcome, if spotty precipitation of late, have triggered a minor growth spurt among certain kinds of vegetation. In the desert, for example, the spidery ocotillo can grow an …