Musing about the San Diego Weather

When I got up this morning I was musing about my new blog and what to write about. The weather was gray and misty (we are near the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad and maybe 2 miles, as the crow flies, from the ocean), and it occurred to me that the weather, especially in the morning, was one very noticeable difference from Boston. In Boston, when you have fog or cloudy gray weather, it can last a day or a week without a break, unlike the May Gray and June Gloom we have out here which, I have learned, occurs in many parts of the world and NOT just in the spring/early summer. Even thought there seem to be many days of grayness, it doesn't generally last all day. What was interesting this morning, as it typically is where I live, is that within a hour or so the sun came out, the sky was blue, and the mist was receding over the hills above La Costa and the temperature was rising. While we have some days where the gray marine layer seems to last much longer, or for the entire day, that has been rare. It has be refreshing to find that although the day can start out gray and ugly, it very quickly can change into the beautiful sunny California weather we enjoy so much. In Boston, a look out the window at the gray was typically met with a long sigh and resigning yourself to yet another cool, damp, ugly day. We had heard about June Gloom from our daughter, who lives in LA, on our many trips out here, but the experience has been fascinating.

The other very noticeable thing about the weather (more to come later) is that we get 4 different weather forecasts - for the coast, inland, the mountains, and the desert - and all in San Diego County. While Boston weather has its anomalies (I could go on forever on that subject), the diversity of weather patterns here, especially the temperatures, has been a big change for me. In the summer the difference in temperatures from the coast to the desert can be 30 degrees or more, and yet it is only a couple of hours away! Or it can be gray and cloudy at the coast, but just a short distance inland hot and sunny. For a sun lover, this has been great!

And then we have the Santa Anas...what the heck is that, we wondered when moving here last year? Well, now we know about these warming winds from inland that can, unfortunately, reak havoc and cause the destructive forest fires California is so famous for. Check out meteora.ucsd.edu for more information on the Santa Anas.

Well, enough for now - off to the gym.

Cheers,

Jeff

For Fans of Coastal San Diego

This site was created for anyone who is a fan of coastal SanDiego -- and who isn't? -- whether you are a lifer, here a few years, or brand new. So why did I create this?

Well, there are several reasons. First, I am new to the area myself, having moved to Carlsbad from Boston (doesn't that tell you my reason for moving here?) in April of 2005 with my wife. While Boston is a wonderful city to live in, unless you are a big fan of winter, it seems to have a cold season that lasts forever. Not being a fan of the cold and snow, moving to a warmer climate just made a lot of sense. No regrets here! (If you are thinking of relocating here, check out my other blog, Relocation A to Z).

Second, as a Realtor with RE/MAX Associates, it makes sense to me to have a forum where San Diegans and potential future residents can share their thoughts about the joys, as well as the trials, of living in "paradise." An important thing I have learned, both as a real estate consumer (we are now in our 9th house) and an agent working with buyers and sellers, is that most people buy the community first, even before they select the house, either consciously or unconsciously. For most buyers, the lifestyle and the neighborhood is what is driving the purchase, not the particular house. So why not provide a forum where people who are thinking of buying or selling can learn more about the coastal San Diego area and the things that are important to them as they consider making a move. And if you are interested in some area photos, check out my Area Photo Tour on my real estate website.

Finally, this is a place for people to talk about their likes and dislikes of life along the coast, ask for and share recommendations (restaurants, shopping, golf, theatre, museums, galleries, tourist stuff to do, beaches, etc.), and seek help and advice. You don't have to be a buyer or seller to participate - the more we hear from fans the better this site will be! Obviously there are things about living here that irk people (traffic, housing prices) and it's fine to share that as well (and if you can offer solutions or suggestions on how to improve, so much the better).

As a newbie myself I am still learning about the area, and will share my thoughts regularly. I look forward to educating others about the many virtues of living here, but also learning from each of you. And please keep in mind that this is a public forum, so let's be respectful of others' opinions and thoughts as we share our own.

Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,

Jeff

PS: If you are thinking of buying or selling, I invite you to stop by my real estate website - there's lots of free helpful information and reports, Internet and community resources, area photos, and more!