Other than that … well, the
numbers tell the broad story.
The City of San Diego in
many years fails to record even one day of temperatures below 32 degrees, the
point of freezing.
As for temperatures above
90 degrees, the City of San Diego endures an average of two a year, the Western
Regional Climate Center reports.
Rain averages about 11
inches a year. Most of it falls in January, February and March.
From May to October …
usually less than two-tenths of an inch per month, rising to almost a half-inch
in October.
Every once in while
humidity breaks out a sweat but because the air is dry residents rarely notice
the discomfort. In many parts of the U.S., humidity is an item of daily
conversation. In San Diego, and indeed California, humidity is almost never
mentioned. It is just not a big or noticeable problem.
Finer Points
The cities right on the
coast are cooler than those five miles in and these are cooler than those 10
miles in.
In summer 2006, San Diego
went through one of its rare heat waves. The beach cities held their cool —
in the 70s. Escondido, about 10 miles inland, soared to 112. Oceanside, at the
beach, hit 79 degrees. About three miles in, thermometers rose to 94 degrees.
In May and June, clouds
often hover over the coast towns — “The June Gloom” — but 10 miles
inland, in El Cajon, La Mesa and Santee — sunshine.
As the day warms up, the
coastal clouds will dissolve and the coast towns will enjoy the afternoon sun.
(For evenings and mornings, light jackets or sweaters are needed.)
The terrain influences the
weather and creates mini climates. Openings in the coastal hills allow Pacific zephyrs
to finger inland and take the summer edge off of some neighborhoods.
Coastal San Diego get by
with minimal air conditioning in the summer. A few miles, inland some residents
will break out sun umbrellas or sun tents (for garage sales) and frequently
flip on the a/c. This sometimes spikes the electric bill and infuriates
residents. Power rates are tied to usage — the more you use, the higher
the rate. Hypothetical example: low consumption, 10 cents a kilowatt hour; high
consumption, 20 cents per kilowatt hour. Some
Rainfall rises to 17 inches
in some years and falls to 4 or five inches in others.
Nevermind the weather, the
Pacific waters are often cold, thanks to artic currents that make their way
south. Surfers commonly wear wet suits.
Fire Danger
San Diego, for all of the
above, is arid. When you think of the city, think of Phoenix and Dallas and
North Africa and Jerusalem and Baghdad. They are about the same latitude.
Think dry. Also think of
oily shrubs, like manzanita, an ideal fuel. The county is covered with these
kind of shrubs.
In the fall and sometimes
November and December, Santa Ana winds blow in from the desert, strong, hot and
dry.
Several times in the last
few years, major fires have broken out in the county, killing people and
destroying homes.
Not just homes in the
sticks; Also homes in suburban neighborhoods with nearby fire stations that
would seem to be the last places a fire would roar out of control.
Residents have become wary
of the fire danger. The remedy: clear the brush away from the house, replace
wood shingles with tiles, take other precautions. See City of San Diego web
site for more information.
Typhoons and Hurricanes
Anything is possible
but highly improbable in Southern Cal.
Earthquakes
Many parts of
coastal California are in the earthquake zone but the major fault runs east of
San Diego.
The fault veers west
and emerges in Los Angeles and Orange counties, then travels the coast to San
Francisco and beyond.
San Diego will
occasionally get a rattler and the potential is there for a fairly Big One but
the real danger shows up in the other counties.
Water
Most people take the
water supply for granted but it should be kept in mind that San Diego, to an
uncomfortable extent, lives on imported water, much of it coming from the
Colorado River.
Cities and private
firms, anticipating the day when supply will be a problem, are funding
experimental projects to purify ocean water.
San Diego is a
gardener’s paradise. The sunshine allows the cultivation of countless plants
and, despite the heat, many homes are decorated with lawns.
But about mid summer many
residents give up on their lawns and allow them to brown out. Water is costly;
the heat persistent.
In recent years, a movement
has taken hold to encourage business and residents to use drought-resistant
plants.
Many people don’t
like the taste of San Diego water. There is a lively trade in bottled water.
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Reno, NV. Rainfall figures are for calendar year. |
Smog
It shows up but is
not remotely as bad as the smog in Los Angeles County.
For the heavy stuff,
San Diego has not had a Stage One alert since 1991 and a Stage Two (more
severe) since 1979. And since then, the air has been cleaned up.
In 1980, the county
exceeded the federal ozone standard on 87 days. In 2005, zero days.
The state has a
tougher ozone standard. In 1980, the county exceeded this standard on 87 days.
In 2005, the tally was 16 days.
For more information
on air quality, visit the web site of the San Diego Air Pollution Control
District. www.sdapcd.org.
Slides
San Diego is built
over hills and ravines. In dry years, slides are rare. In really wet years, dozens
will occur throughout the county and inevitably some homes will be ruined or
badly damaged. If have concerns, ask about soil stability.
• Temperatures Soar. In
2006, after almost 10 years of mild summers, San Diego got a heat wave that
drove thousands to the beaches and air conditioned stores and movies.
The beach cities held their
cool — in the 70s.
On one of the hottest days,
Vista hit 106, Escondido soared to 112, Alpine 109. Oceanside was a cool 79 at the beach but a few miles inland,
the thermometer reached 94.
At least one fellow
welcomed the heat. To lose a few pounds for his 50th birthday, Rick
Hollis of Serra Mesa ran up Cowles Mountain, 1,591 feet high.
•Santa Anas. Winds
that blow in from the desert, often in October. Moisture evaporates from the
air. Lipstick dries out. Fire danger high. Trucks and trailers are cautioned to
take care; gusts sometimes exceed
50 miles an hour. In October 2003, the Santa Anas fanned a fire that destroyed
almost 2,400 homes and killed 17.
