California Guys, Hunker Down!

[roadwarrior]

A foot of rain and ten feet of snow coming your way:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320079,00.html

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Well the snow the Sierra's gets is a very light, powdery snow, 10' of powpow (a Tahoe-ian word for White gold) really isn't as big a deal as 2' of heavy stuff.

The wind and 30 ft swells ARE a big deal as well as the rain which could cause some major mud slides considering the fires they had this summer.

You know what WE say though, foul weather??  Time to go fishin' ;D

Hang tough Cali boys

[Olebiker]

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Well the snow the Sierra's gets is a very light, powdery snow, 10' of powpow (a Tahoe-ian word for White gold) really isn't as big a deal as 2' of heavy stuff.

What about that "Sierra cement" I recall reading people complain about?  

Looks like the avalanche patrol guys are going to be busy.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

"Sierra cement", as the general public knows it,comes a few days later, if at all.  That's when the sun is on the new snow and compresses that 10' down to 6'.  Next day, same thing, 6' down to 4' but now it gets a nice shine on top from the crust that is forming.

Another day and we are down to 2 ft of naturally compressed, ice topped snow.  This stuff will tear you some new skin on your shins when making fresh tracks.

Sometimes, you don't get that ice crust and this is a Sierra cement that is probably one of the BEST surfaces to compete on believe it or not.  The snow is firm and carveable like a stiff styrofoam.

REAL Sierra cement however, refers to a wind blown ridge that is shaded all day.  If you should launch of one of these rims without realizing the condition below you (I learned from locals who had been skiing these mtns their whole lives, which areas to ski when and why) you will be coming out on a sled with a minimum of a broken femur.

Landing on a  hard wind blown patch of snow that started off wet and then compressed via the wind, is just like landing on a cement slab.

Many watch the Warren Miller movies and there are lots of "OOOhs and Ahhs" with the cliff jumps but they are really quite similar to jumping into a big air bag.  But that's only when the conditions are right.  This is a calculated risk that you are watching.  These people know where they are jumping, what's below them, etc.  The injuries, etc that you hear about are usually from people who jumped in an area they did not know.  LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IS EVERYTHING in the mtns just like it is on a lake.

and.....just for the record, New England ski areas experience "Sierra cement" much more than the western resorts do, by far.  Skiing out west is much more forgiving than skiing the east because of the differences in the snow.

[Branuss04]

IT"S HERE!!!   I don't think i've been in winds like this before in cali.  I live in the valley and am getting beat hard by the wind.  I just watched a video of a semi trailer tip over from the wind. I'm looking outside and watching the rain fall horizantal.  I had water coming through the front door that was coming from underneath my awning.  It's a good one boys.  Right now the sierra's are enjoying better weather than down here.  But they are excpecting blizzard conditions in about 4 hours.  They are looking at 10 FT of snow on the high peaks, and 100 MPH gusts.  I'd hate to be up there!!!  

 What makes me mad is i have 4 days off and its rain for all 4 days.  I have the 2 new huds and 2 new JDM baits in my tackle box waiting to get used.  There is no doubt about it that i'll go out this weekend, but i'm trying to decide wether I want to brave the 50 mph winds today, or the super low snow this weekend.  Come to think of it, if I throw the huds with the wind, i'm sure to add a good 50 feet to my cast.... HMMMMM!!!  

as far as the "sierra cement", you really got to experience that.  I was a newbie when i first experienced the cement, lets just say I would rather be fishing, while in blizzard conditions with my girlfriendstanding there nagging me in my ear.  I think I would have got less hurt if i were to have fallen on actual cement.  Another reason that we get the cement is because of the wetness of the snow.  It's totally different then the powdery "Colorado" snow.

Well the power is starting to flick so i'm gonna split. Wish me luck.

[fourbizz]

Its getting pretty ugly out there boys!

[Redlinerobert]

It's supposed to be downright ugly the next couple days.  I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow.

[fourbizz]

2.3 inches of rain in the last 3 hours.

Gusts to 48 MPH.

barometer at 29.45 and plummeting. It was at 30.15 last night. GOD I WISH I WAS FISHING TODAY. somebody around here is gonna catch a giant today, mark my words!

its a real wet rain too

[Hawgin]

30 degree temps, a few inches of rain, high winds, and the chance of large snow accumulation?

You know what kind of news coverage that would get here in Missouri.

"Well, looks like another round of wintery conditions this weekend, and now here's Len with the sports......"   :'(

[fourbizz]

I lived at 8000 feet in Colorado for 18 years and Wyoming for a year too. I know all about extreme winter weather.

The trees up here are not used to wind, i have 5 inch limbs down all over the property.

Flood Advisory in effect

High Wind Warning in effect

3.89 inches of rain so far today. Gusts to 50MPH.

Its still 51 degrees though ;D. I love the rain, hate the wind and snow though.

[5bass]

Could someone redirect that rain to the east coast please? We sure could use it.

You guys be safe out there!

[fourbizz]

I know what you mean 5bl!

Our 2006-2007 rainy season, was horrible. Some of our reservoirs out here are over 100 feet low Almost all of the launch ramps at reservoirs are out of the water. For instance Folsom Reservoir which is about 5 miles from me is a 12,000 acre lake with at least 7 ramps and the last one is within 5 feet of being closed. Lake is down at least 80 vertical feet, maybe more, and I know that surface area has to be around half of full pool! It has had a 5mph limit in place since late summer because of all the unmarked hazards. Almost every reservoir out here is in the same boat. Its pretty horrible.

One lake that I have been to raises its own strain of trout on site and is privately owned, but open to the public (for a fee). Half of their hatchery got shut down in late september due to water shortages, their only ramp is high and dry, and if we don't get enough water this winter with a large enough snow pack, they may have to shut down indefinitely.

Even Clear Lake, a very shallow natural lake is down 5 feet, which when you take into account the fact that the average depth is less than 20feet, is alot!

The water situation is pretty ugly throughout the country. What is it like close to you?

Ugh, now the power is flickering. When the power goes out up here, it usually stays off for quite awhile. might be reading a book here pretty soon

[Oscar O.]

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Could someone redirect that rain to the east coast please? We sure could use it.

I dont know... we really do need some rain! I suppose we could share a little! Anyone who wants some rain bring a few buckets and chill at my parents restaurant until they fill up!

[Tokyo Tony]

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Some of our reservoirs out here are over 100 feet low Almost all of the launch ramps at reservoirs are out of the water. For instance Folsom Reservoir which is about 5 miles from me is a 12,000 acre lake with at least 7 ramps and the last one is within 5 feet of being closed. Lake is down at least 80 vertical feet, maybe more, and I know that surface area has to be around half of full pool! It has had a 5mph limit in place since late summer because of all the unmarked hazards. Almost every reservoir out here is in the same boat. Its pretty horrible.

Get that camera out fourbizz!  Scouting out those areas when they're that low is a great opportunity to see all the crap you can't normally see...the one experience I have with that is on a lake in NH that was abot 12-15 feet low for a while, now I know everything about it, and it's a huge help.

100 feet low?  I can't even imagine - that's crazy  

[Branuss04]

Alright guys, I just got back from around town, as I was out, I saw a Stop light pole fall on a big rig.  Had to dodge trash cans everywhere.  Both stores I went into had old ladies in stretchers, i didin't ask, but i'm assuming that the wind blew them over.  And l there was a .5 mile stetch of a lane that was closed becuase a row of 10 trees where all uprooted.  

It's just an absolute mess, but in the valley it is finally dieing off.  The winds have subsided from hurricane force to a moderate breeze.  

I just talked to a friend who is having his honeymoon in tahoe.  He has been up there since last sunday, and was supposed to leave tommorrow, but he said the winds have just picked up heavily and you can't hardly walk outside.  I told him that he better be winning big up there because he will be staying and extra 3-4 days up there.  

We have 1.2 million PG&E customers out of power over here along with thousands and thousands of SMUD customers out.  I'm lucky to have power i guess.  

[Redlinerobert]

Power outages everywhere.  Trees down on the roads, trash cans all over the place, it's ugly out there boys.  I understand it's not going to stop until NEXT Thursday?!

Staying home this weekend.  

[Long Mike]

Hey Guys, I feel your pain.  We just came out of the worst ice storm in Oklahoma history.  700,000 people without power.  I lost power for five days.  Others lost theirs for over two weeks.  Mother nature can be pretty brutal at times, and anywhere she chooses.  

[Redlinerobert]

So True Mike. Last lady I'd ever want to tick off.

[Jimzee]

Ya'll be safe.  Stay inside.

[fourbizz]

its calmed down here for awhile. gonna get some more action late tonight.

we had 5.79 inches up here today. 3 of that was in an hour and a half!