Alaskan cold front chills South County residents
Morgan Hill – Rain in the city. Twenty-two-foot swells on the coast. Snow on the foothills. It sounds more like weather back east than in South County.
And this weekend flurries are expected to hit the valley floor in yet another bout of cold weather and below normal temperatures, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
“For this stuff to be happening in March, this is unusual,” said meteorologist Shawn Weagle. “Most people will be lucky to see 50 today.”
Temperatures are expected to run about 15 degrees below normal this weekend with rain until Sunday night. Snow may reach elevation levels of 500 feet, however, it should not accumulate until 1,000 feet. Up to six inches of snow may fall at altitudes higher that 2,500 feet.
“This is probably the lowest snow level as far as the Bay Area that we’ve had since 1998,” Weagle said. “All of those mountains (in South County) will get a pretty good dusting by the time it’s over.”
Residents who ventured or glanced outside Friday saw dark gray skies and hail for a short time, a sign that the wacky weekend weather has arrived.
Campers in search of snow may find it at Coyote Lake Bear Ranch county park Saturday.
“Some people like to camp in the snow,” said park ranger Rhonda Southworth. “They come up here anticipating snow.”
This time of year the wildflowers usually start blooming, but most have yet to show their colors this year.
“I think because of the cold sprees it might be preventing some from blooming,” she said.
The park is located about 850 feet above sea level, and about two weeks ago rangers saw snow that lasted about an hour. This weekend it may be more of the same.
“It’s just really cold and damp right now,” she said Friday afternoon as temperatures hit the low-40s.
Nighttime temperatures will hover just below 40 degrees with the possibility of hail and thunderstorms, Weagle said.
The cause of the unusual weather is a very cold front from the Gulf of Alaska. A second front will be heading this way Monday night with rain anticipated through Thursday.
“It seems like it’s one right after another,” Weagle said. “But if people can enjoy the snow covered peaks – it’s kind of rare … Just enjoy the uniqueness of it. It will go away and we’ll be back to our California weather.”
