WEATHER: Well, yesterday's storm was somewhat of a dud, at least as far as Tollhouse was concerned. Some overnight sprinkles was about all Tollhouse residents saw from the storm that passed overhead. Today will be the calm between storms as yet another rapidly moving form will be passing through the area starting tomorrow evening and lasting into Friday. After that, Saturday is expected to be calm before another storm moves in overnight Saturday and lasting through until Monday morning. In the meantime, it's a great time to enjoy the partly sunny skies today and make sure that the hatches are battened down for the storm this weekend (smile). TRAFFIC: The chain restrictions were lowered yesterday as a result of the storm. Chains are currently (as of 11:00 am) required near the overlook at the top of the 4-Lane, about 10.4 miles east of Prather. Given that we're not expecting any more precipitation today, skiers returning from a beautiful day on the slopes at Sierra Summit should expect much less onerous chain restrictions this afternoon.
After yesterday's morning snow, the afternoon brought us clear skies and the snow quickly receeded.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunrise:
7:03 am - Sunset: 5:19 pm
Today:
High: 49/Chance Shwrs
Chance of Rain: 40%
Tonight:
Low: 36/Chance Shwrs
Chance of Rain: 30%
WEATHER: The weather continues to be the watchword in Tollhouse yet again today. Even though as of 2:00 pm this afternoon, not a drop of precipitation has yet to fall, the forecasters are giving us a 40% chance of rain today, and a 30% chance of rain tonight as a fast moving storm passes overhead today and tonight. Tomorrow will provide another break from the precipitation before another fast moving storm is due through the area on Thursday night into Friday, and yet another storm due through our area on the weekend. The latest computer models are now backing off a bit on the weekend storm, so we'll have to see if we end up with more rain or not for the coming weekend. All in all, though, we should be thankful that after the poor start we got this year, that we've finally managed to get up to around 114% of our normal to date rainfall. TRAFFIC: While chain restrictions remain on SR 168, you can now drive, as of this afternoon, all the way past Shaver Lake and then some, before you have to put them on. Traffic incidents have been negligible so far today with some youngsters trying to put on chains in the middle of the road on 168 near Flintridge Road being about the only thing to report. OTHER NEWS: We'd also like to say hello today to David from the frozen Midwest for his call today. David told us how much he liked our website and photos, and indicated that he thought that we lived in one of the prettiest places around. In this, we'd have to agree with him. (smile)
Once again, Tollhouse received a dusting of snow this morning.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunrise:
7:04 am - Sunset: 5:18 pm
Today:
High: 45/Chance Shwrs
Chance of Rain: 70%
Tonight:
Low: 26/Partly Cloudy
WEATHER: Wow!! Yep, we've said it for the 3rd time in 5 days. For those of you that had to get up early this morning and go to work with the Flatlanders, you missed it. A wintery mix of snow started falling about 7:00 am this morning, but by 8:30 the mix had turned to pure snow and quite a bit of it, at least for Tollhouse. By 10:00 am, when the snow finally stopped falling, there was a little over an inch coating the lawns and hillsides around Tollhouse. The prognosticators tell us that the worst is over for now and that showers (whether rain or snow) will diminish through the day leading to a brief clearing trend before some showers are possible again tomorrow night into Wednesday and Thursday night into Friday. The longer term models still hint at another rainmaker for next weekend, so we'll see how that shapes up during the work week. TRAFFIC: Chains are required this morning at the bottom of the 4-Lane. With the snow not sticking for long at the lower elevations, it's expected that the elevation of chain control will lift later in the day. A charter bus had a problem negotiating the hairpin turn just below the Shaver Dam this morning about 8:00 am and found itself stuck in the slush and blocking part of SR 168 during a time when skiers were on their way to take advanatage of the several feet of new snow at Sierra Summit. Finding a tow truck big enough to move the bus was somewhat of a problem for the CHP.
Recent rain and snow have once again brought Tollhouse Falls to life as seen in this photo taken today.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunrise:
7:04 am - Sunset: 5:17 pm
Today:
High: 58/Rain
Chance of Rain: 90%
Tonight:
Low: 33/Chance Snow
Chance of Rain: 80%
WEATHER: The expression goes, "What a difference a day makes" and that's certainly true today here in Tollhouse. After a beautiful spring-like day yesterday, overnight rains continued into this morning and afternoon. However, Tollhouse was spared the thunderstorms, some rather destructive, that plagued other areas in and near the San Joaquin Valley. Rains will continue this evening followed by showers that will wind down by tomorrow morning. A break from the precipitation will then ensue until Tuesday night into Wednesday when another storm is expected to pass through the area. This will be followed by another break Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, before another storm makes it way through the area on Thursday night into Friday. Then over next weekend, another storm similar to today's is forecast to make it's way to our section of the state. TRAFFIC: Chain restrictions have once again been put in place on SR 168 above Shaver Lake as the overnight rain in Tollhouse fell as overnight snow at the higher elevations. A number of fender benders have also been reported up and down SR 168 this afternoon, especially on the upper portions between Pine Ridge and Huntington Lake.
Getting across the bridge over the creek could be a slippery exercise on Wednesday morning.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sunrise:
7:05 am - Sunset: 5:16 pm
Today:
High: 54/Mostly Cloudy
Tonight:
Low: 36/Rain
Chance of Rain: 90%
WEATHER: Wow!! Yes, we've repeated ourselves. We've gone from 2 inches of snow in Tollhouse to one of the most beautiful days in January that we've ever remembered all in the span of a few brief days. Temperatures reached a high of 64 here in Tollhouse today, for what would normally be considered a picture perfect spring time day, if it wasn't HAPPENING IN JANUARY!! (smile) About all we can say though, is that this really is the calm before the storm. The folks at the National Weather Service tell us that tonight will be stormy, and tomorrow and tomorrow night stormier still, as yet another storm makes it's way through our area. Sierra Summit was put on alert to receive as much as another 5 feet of new snow from the storm, which we're sure will be good news for skiers AFTER the storm has passed. Long term, showers and possible rain remain in the forecast for the next 7 days, albeit with some respites of partly cloudy skies between storms. TRAFFIC: In contrast to several days when chains were required near the bottom of the 4 lane, there are currently no chain restrictions on SR 168 this afternoon. That is expected to change, however, overnight and into tomorrow.
Yesterday's storm as seen looking west in Tollhouse.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sunrise:
7:06 am - Sunset: 5:15 pm
Today:
High: 49/Rain
Chance of Rain: 100%
Tonight:
Low: 36/Chance Rain
Chance of Rain: 50%
WEATHER: The weather continues to be the subject of conversation in Tollhouse as low elevation snow continues in the area. 6:00 pm last night brought temperatures of 34 degrees and a wintery mixture of snow and rain. By 8:00, most of the rain had ceased and the temperature had returned to 42 degrees. A similar forecast is on tap for tonight with the low of 36 is expected to be reached around 8:00 pm with the temperature rising after that to about 44 for the rest of the evening. The forecast also calls for periods of rain through today dimishing to a 50% chance of rain this evening. After that, we may get a slight break before more possible heavy rain starts in again on Saturday night into Sunday. Most of the long term forecasts call for continued wet weather in the Tollhouse area until at least mid-week.
Dawn found Tollhouse covered in a blanket of white this morning.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sunrise:
7:06 am - Sunset: 5:14 pm
Today:
High: 43/Rain
Chance of Rain: 80%
Tonight:
Low: 34/Rain
Chance of Rain: 90%
WEATHER: Wow!! What a night! Ever since last Sunday, the Weather Service has been talking about the possibility of low elevation foothill snow, and nothing happened. Then yesterday afternoon, they pretty much gave up on the idea, and of course, that's when it came. Starting about 9:45 pm last night, the snow started, and it came, and it came and it kept coming on and off until about 5:00 am this morning. Tollhouse was blanketed with about 2 inches of snow overnight, as the snow started early at a fairly heavy pace and managed to start sticking to the ground almost immediately and left a base for the continued snow to continue to stick to it. Reports coming in indicate that the snow fell down to about the 1200 foot level overnight. For the next few days, we will still be the watch word as another storm on the heels of the one last night will park itself off the California coast and continue to fling bands of showers into the area. Depending on where the storm chooses to park itself will determine the duration and extent of the rainfall we'll manage to add to the existing totals.
Time exposure shows this evenings snowfall in Tollhouse.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sunrise:
7:07 am - Sunset: 5:13 pm
Today:
High: 45/Rain
Chance of Rain: 90%
Tonight:
Low: 37/Rain
Chance of Rain: 90%
WEATHER: The weatherpersons at the National Weather Service remain as confused about the weather as the local media weatherpersons. Most of the computer models used to predict the weather are based on past experience, and it's very seldom that we get the kind of storm into our area as we have at present. The current storm came from the northeast instead of from the west or northwest as is much, much more common. So, about every 6 hours the forecast changes, and then changes again. Current thinking is that the storm that has been drenching the westside of the San Joaquin Valley and the Coast Range will finally move our direction and provide some heavy rain at some point overnight tonight. This will be followed by yet another storm from the same trajectory on Friday and Saturday. However, the storms keep stalling as they hit the Pacific Ocean and barely budge, and it's the uncertainty of their movement that's driving the forecasters crazy. Those of you that lived in the area back in the winter of 90-91 might remember the Yukon Express that permeated the area for about a week before and after Christmas and where the temperature at 2000 feet elevation never got over 32 degrees for nearly that entire period. This is much the same kind of scenario, except that the storm track responsible is about 80 miles further offshore than the one at that time, and that difference is causing the Coastal Mountains to be deluged while the Sierra Foothills remain 'relatively' dry in comparison.
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