SAN DIEGO — A new rain season has begun here in San Diego as the National Weather has reset the rain gauge as of October 1. This past season was definitely one to remember so I spoke with Alex Tardy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service here in San Diego.
"We got into October of last year and it was dry most of the month," Tardy said.
Fall is a transition season in Southern California and he says by November change had arrived.
"Our first storm came in on Election Day, it's easy to remember because everyone was out voting," Tardy said.
The storm brought widespread heavy rain, but the storm track stayed north of Southern California, pounding Central and Northern part of the state. That changed in mid-December with an atmospheric river.
Tardy said that was just the beginning of what was to come.
"But storms started coming and by New Year's Eve, that's when it came with a bang," Tardy said.
That's when the atmospheric river became part of our vocabulary.
"The hose didn't shut off until mid-January when we saw our most significant storm in San Diego. That's when we had major flooding on the San Diego River," he said.
Then a drier pattern and some thought that was it.
"All of a sudden we got into mid-February and some big cold storms came in February and early March," Tardy said.
The atmospheric river returned, but this time with cold air.
"That's when Big Bear was hit with its record-breaking snow," Tardy said.
Some locations received over 100" of snow.
"And if that wasn't enough, we had another series of storms come in over saturated ground," Tardy said.
All toll California saw 30 atmospheric rivers, San Diego was hit by 13. By Spring it was dry but cool.
"May was a really cool month, below average and that carried into June," Tardy said.
Then the July Fry arrived with temperatures in the Desert hitting 118° and inland valleys topping 100°. And the kooky weather continued in August.
"Where we saw the Tropical Cyclone Hilary deliver unprecedented amounts of rainfall giving us huge numbers for the month of August." Tardy said.
Season rainfall totals were amazing.
- Oceanside 23.47" , 13.2" above average
- Escondido 29.77", 15.25" above average
- San Diego 15.72" 5.96" above average
- Palomar Mountain 69.26", 38.85 above
And with a strengthening El Nino it will be interesting to see what this rain season brings.
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