BajaNomad

Remembering El Nino!

rocmoc - 8-22-2015 at 04:06 PM

Wonder if anyone remembers the weather from past El Ninos. We were in Loreto Feb. '97 and the daytime temp was well into the 80's. Fishing was great. Water temp warm and comfortable to swim in. With all the scare about this winter's El Nino, I did a search on the net for past weather in Baja and came up empty handed. What are your memories?

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Ateo - 8-22-2015 at 04:26 PM

I remember almost dying in double/triple overhead surf at Baja Malibu! No one else out. Salsipuedes must've been perfect that day..................

Interested to hear other's stories.

satmike - 8-22-2015 at 08:34 PM

We spend our winters at Punta San Carlos south of El Rosario. The 40 mile dirt road gets real interesting with all the rain. The years the bridges on hy.1 washed out were El Nino winters.
More Norte winds and more big NW swell.

[Edited on 8-23-2015 by satmike]

bajabuddha - 8-22-2015 at 09:40 PM

The El Niņos of '62 and '63 left the Colorado River drainage in carnage. They had been coming out of a 'monumental drought' much like what's happening today, so the Dam(n) watershed had over-stored. Glen Canyon Dam(n) was almost lost two years in a row. Want proof? Read Steve Hannon's "Glen Canyon" to see what almost really did happen then, and eventually will.

In late May and early June 1983 the 'Powers That Be' wouldn't let even commercial boaters raft Cataract Canyon. It was so huge do to run-off melt that they shut down boating in the Canyon systems because NOBODY had ever seen these waters as big, EVER. Long story shorter, I was a boatman that went down the week they opened it, the 2nd week of June, 1963....

Same thing on the Green River through Dinosaur Nat't Park. No one had seen the river through Lodore as big as since Flaming Gorge Dam was built.... also was blessed to boat that canyon too. Utter chaos, utter paradise.

El Niņo means ALL BETS ARE OFF. Gee, I think I've typed that before here. It's a topsy-turvy of earth's basic 'normal' patterns, so all effects will be AB-normal. As in, hemispherical, if not globally. It's like a cosmic circus; buy yer popcorn, take yer seats, and watch the show and the fireworks. Ye Gods, look around at our own situations, with fires, drought (oh, excuse me, ALLEGEDED drought), whale die-offs in record numbers in Alaska, etc., etc.......

This is not supporting "Global Climate Change" in any way. This is on-topic with El Niņos only. If the former IS coupled in, Katy bar the door. Hold 'er Newt, she's a headed for the barn.

Gawd I love weather and the Mother, it's just so stupendous and awe-inspiring to watch!

Ateo - 8-22-2015 at 10:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
The El Niņos of '62 and '63 left the Colorado River drainage in carnage. They had been coming out of a 'monumental drought' much like what's happening today, so the Dam(n) watershed had over-stored. Glen Canyon Dam(n) was almost lost two years in a row. Want proof? Read Steve Hannon's "Glen Canyon" to see what almost really did happen then, and eventually will.

In late May and early June 1983 the 'Powers That Be' wouldn't let even commercial boaters raft Cataract Canyon. It was so huge do to run-off melt that they shut down boating in the Canyon systems because NOBODY had ever seen these waters as big, EVER. Long story shorter, I was a boatman that went down the week they opened it, the 2nd week of June, 1963....

Same thing on the Green River through Dinosaur Nat't Park. No one had seen the river through Lodore as big as since Flaming Gorge Dam was built.... also was blessed to boat that canyon too. Utter chaos, utter paradise.

El Niņo means ALL BETS ARE OFF. Gee, I think I've typed that before here. It's a topsy-turvy of earth's basic 'normal' patterns, so all effects will be AB-normal. As in, hemispherical, if not globally. It's like a cosmic circus; buy yer popcorn, take yer seats, and watch the show and the fireworks. Ye Gods, look around at our own situations, with fires, drought (oh, excuse me, ALLEGEDED drought), whale die-offs in record numbers in Alaska, etc., etc.......

This is not supporting "Global Climate Change" in any way. This is on-topic with El Niņos only. If the former IS coupled in, Katy bar the door. Hold 'er Newt, she's a headed for the barn.

Gawd I love weather and the Mother, it's just so stupendous and awe-inspiring to watch!


You are one of my favorite members here.

rocmoc - 8-23-2015 at 06:21 AM

Great info bajabuddha BUT interested in BAJA! There is plenty of info about the States but nearly nothing about Baja. Just because it maybe a bad winter in the Southern part of the USA does not mean it will be in Baja & Mainland Mexico. Hoping to get true stories / info from people who were in Baja during past El Ninos.

rocmoc n Az/Mexico

hombre66 - 8-23-2015 at 09:16 AM

I remember catching Dorado and Yellowfin just SW of San Diego in 97.Super still waters and 90 degree muggy heat 6 mi out to sea.

Sweetwater - 8-23-2015 at 09:44 AM

The spill over from '62-'63 filled Flaming Gorge in record time....remember when we thought we could have 50 years of water stored in the Colorado River basin?

'97-'98 were not big for the interior states and precipitation....snow totals were pretty much on track with normal. January bailed out everyone with a big storm track.
Quote:

Northern and Central Colorado: These areas were below average through December and close to average thereafter, except for a strong April. This season illustrates Winter Park's consistency. It is influenced by several different storm patterns, and tends to do relatively well in below average years. In the big years for this region, Winter Park will not have quite the huge numbers recorded at Vail and particularly Steamboat. Winter Park's new Vasquez Cirque did not open until February because of a major avalanche in January.

elgatoloco - 8-23-2015 at 03:45 PM

El Niņo '82-83 our little campo on the pac side saw half a dozen bluff top homes crash down the cliff onto the beach and several more made uninhabitable. Also all the sand on our half mile long beach washed down the coast. It took 25 years for the beach to get back to its old self and its still not quite the same. There was some crazy scary surf including a day out at Califia where the waves were breaking from the point all the way across the bay resulting in two of the longest scariest waves I ever rode. Paddling out I was leery because of the size and then it kept getting bigger as the afternoon wore on. The real problem that day was trying to exit the water with high tide and head high shore break crashing at the base of the cliff at bus stops. Oddly I never surfed that wave again after that experience. :dudette: