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By Eric Johnson
Published Feb 27, 2023
02-27-23: Atmospheric Snowpocalypse
I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains at two different periods of my life for a total of about 10 years. I remember it snowing there once. (My phone tells me it was Feb. 26, 2011.)
Of course, my wife and I were delighted. We walked on the dirt ridge road above our home and admired the sparkling redwoods. Took pictures of snow on the manzanita and yerba santa and our deck and firepit draped in white. By 9am, everything had melted and I was a little sad.
When I heard that the Santa Cruz Mountains were receiving a significant accumulation of snowfall last week, my initial reaction was envy. I wished I could be there—maybe break out my cross country skis. (Of course, when we lived in Santa Cruz, we did not own cross country skis, as we do now, here in Sacramento so close to the Sierra.)
Upon reflection, I have had a more appropriate reaction to what is clearly a bizarre weather event. I’m sure the kids at Mount Madonna School were as happy to see the snow as I would’ve been if I were there—but it is, in fact, a nightmarish event, and one that reminds us that we are living through a planetary crisis. Sorry, kids.
It’s also true that I have lived through somewhat nightmarish weather events in those mountains. The winter of 2016, our last in Santa Cruz County, brought the worst storms I’ve seen in my life. Mudslides, trees and powerlines down everywhere, roads closed everywhere, power out for days—it sucked. Let’s face it—the weather anomalies caused by the climate crisis suck. Even if they involve sledding.
Traffic Traffic
Before moving on to the features we’ll be presenting in this week’s issue of The Newsletter, I want to point out that California Local includes real-time access to valuable information about traffic. We of course collect metrics about our web traffic, and last week views of our traffic pages here in Santa Cruz County, in Santa Clara County, and up at Lake Tahoe skyrocketed.
Again—I guess the bad weather was good for our web traffic, but we still hate it. And please consider bookmarking our helpful Santa Cruz County Traffic page.
The Language and Cost of Climate Crisis
As we are forced to rewire our brains in order to comprehend an array of extreme weather events with firenadoes on one end of the spectrum and snowmageddon on the other, a glossary can be handy. Here’s one from the great Jon Vankin. And: Was cutting some monies out of California’s massive climate-crisis response necessary?
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.
As Storm Batters California, Newsom Calls for Climate Cuts
With a projected $25 billion deficit, Newsom proposes slashing $6 billion from climate change programs even as a historic storm likely driven by climate change batters the state.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Eyes Skyward: Hobbyist Chuck Winser’s Backyard Weather Station |
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With his system, Chuck Winser monitors rainfall and rate, windchill and heat index, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and much more. |
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Front Street Housing Proposal Heads to Planning Commission |
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The complex in downtown Santa Cruz is expected to be considered by the Santa Cruz Planning Commission on March 2. |
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Eviction Decision Tabled for Meals on Wheels |
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The Live Oak School District Board of Trustees has put off enforcing an eviction notice to the senior programs using their building. |
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Beloved Santa Cruz Musician Dan Lamothe Dies |
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The founding member of Stellar Corpses and volunteer firefighter-in-training will be missed. |
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Santa Cruz County Nets ‘Mega Grant’ |
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A $30 million grant from the federal government will go toward adding auxiliary lanes on Highway 1 in Aptos, and also building the next segment of the rail trail. |
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Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria Turns 45 |
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Gayle and Joe Ortiz’s scratch-made pastries have been a hit with locals and tourists from the beginning. |
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Community Bids Farewell to Seacliff State Beach Wharf |
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Many came out to clean the beach and say goodbye to the beloved wharf that once led to the Cement Ship. |
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Recent News |
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• Capitola Officials Share Wharf Rebuild Plans
Capitola City Manager Jamie Goldstein said during a recent City Council meeting that overall storm damage costs have grown to $3.4 million—up from $2.6 million—due to updated permitting and design fees for repairs.
(Feb. 27, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• How Santa Cruz’s Water Treatment Plant Weathered Storms
January’s relentless storms brought power outages, floods, landslides and falling trees. But Santa Cruz residents had one critical resource they never had to worry about: clean drinking water.
(Feb. 27, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Waking Up to Blankets of Snow
A freeze warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Saturday as the winter storm closed roads, and felled trees and power lines.
(Feb. 24, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Santa Cruz County Conducts Homeless Count
Santa Cruz County, along with Applied Survey Research and about 30 volunteers, conducted the 2023 point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness. The count is vital for funding and policy development.
(Feb. 23, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• The Kind of Green Paper Folks in Need Don’t Need
Green pieces of paper, known as “green tags,” serve as warnings for allegedly abandoned vehicles.
(Feb. 23, 2023, midnight) → City on a Hill• Is It Snow or Is It Graupel?
The unusually cold weather hitting California has introduced a new word to many.
(Feb. 23, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Santa Cruz’s Library Project Poised to Move Forward
Nearly four months after Santa Cruz voters backed a downtown mixed-use library project, the eight-story development could be headed for a possible final council approval March 14.
(Feb. 23, 2023, midnight) → Read the full Lookout Local report• Santa Cruz County Officials Pledge Changes to City Selection Committee
By convening private meetings to make appointments and nominations to influential state and regional boards, a committee of Santa Cruz County mayors was violating state law. In its first public meeting in decades, the City Selection Committee apologized to the public.
(Feb. 22, 2023, midnight) → Read the full Lookout Local report|
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Upcoming Government Meetings |
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