Pondering Preparation

Here is an article about the possibility of some very cold weather coming our way.

Rare 50 year Arctic Blast Sets Sights On Southern California.
Joshua Young Monday, December 8, 2008

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - December 8, 2008 (OWSweather.com) Rare 50 year Arctic Blast Sets Sights On Southern California.

With a week away, and a sure sign of things to come, OWSweather.com is making preparations on the server to handle the traffic from this next event. UJEAS is in line with the majority if not all the other models in keeping a near historical arctic air mass into the Southern California region.

With a warm November, Southern California is finally ready for cold storms to make their way in. Resort level snow will be likely next week, and in pretty hefty amounts if things stay on track.
OWSweather.com Meteorologist Kevin Martin predicts a 50 year event. While Martin is usually conservative on these events, the pattern highly favors it. "We are in a pre-1950 type pattern" said Martin. "We know we are due for a winter storm sometime this year.

The type we may be dealing with will be ranked up there with the known years before 1950, which set record low daytime temperatures into the forecast region. With this, may come low elevation snow."

Forecaster Cameron Venable is seeing very cold temperatures in the Los Angeles areas as well. Torrance is not usually known for winter weather, thus making this an interesting event for Venable to track.

"Temperatures in Siberia, Russia will be -81 degrees this week, "said Martin. "With those type of temperatures the arctic air mass has to spill somewhere. Our answer of the exact track will become more clear this week. All residents in the mountain communities should prepare this week for very cold, winter weather, with snow."

Indications are a second, colder storm could hit near the 18th-22nd time-frame. The details on that will have to be sorted out.

OWSweather.com staff
More information: http://www.owsweather.com/
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"Be prepared." is something being in the Scouts helped me learn.

Whether the weather forecasted actually comes or not I think being as well prepared as you can be, is better than having to deal with the weather after it begins to really bother folks.

If there really is going to be a very cold period we haven't seen around here in a very long time, it might be a good idea to consider if you know some folks you think might not be as prepared as they probably should be.

Please consider family members who are not as able to handle much colder weather than you are. If you feel older relatives or friends might have great difficulty living in cold housing, you might want to take a look at their wardrobe and amenities in their homes to see if you feel they can weather the storms that may be coming.

It should not cost all that much to make sure someone has the opportunity to wear a warm coat. I bet there are some opportunities out there at thrift stores or even in your closets for warm wear for others.

Maybe if you feel the temps are too cold for someone you know to live with and you have an extra bed in your warm home, you might want to invite someone to stay warm in your home until the coldest parts of the storm passes.

If you have your winter wear stored someplace, maybe today or tonight is the best time to break out those items so they will be ready to wear if and when the cold creeps in.

It would also be a good idea to have your heating system checked out before the Gas Company or the Electric Company get overbooked with calls.

This also may be a good time to stock up on food items you enjoy during cold weather spells. The Supermarkets haven't had a run on those items yet and getting your warm and comforting foods and drink before the cold actually hits allows you better opportunities to stay in warm environments rather that having to trudge to stores to buy items that may not be on the shelves during the coldest parts of the week.

Please think about your neighbors and if you feel they can only stay warm by doing something dangerous like using a bar-b-que- indoors or sitting around a large array of candles, you may want to help them out the best ways you can afford.

Get your cameras ready, too. If the cold snap is as cold as it was in 1948 and snow comes to OUR community, we can finally click more photos all around the area and replace that famous photo of The Hill when the snow stayed on the ground about 60 years ago.

I think if we get the same amount of snow as what fell back in '48 and folks can take photos from the same point that famous photo was taken, we can have a great set of contrasting photos of The Hill and all that has changed in the last 60 years up there.