Bonny Doon Rainfall Gauge

Measured at 2,200 feet AMSL, junction of Empire Grade and Pine Flat


Recent View looking South

07-25-02 at 7:50 PM
Hot and dry


Bonny Doon Rainfall Figures - 2001 - 2002
Season measured from July 1st - June 30th
Last Update: June 30, 2002

August 2001 .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . .

Total:
September 2001 .
.
.
. . .
.
. .
.
. . . 24th
.05"
Total: .05"
October 2001 .
.
. .
.
. . . .



30th
1.5"
Total: 1.5"
November 2001 .
.
.
. . . 10th:
1.45"
11th:
.45"
12th:
3.85"
22nd:
.65"
24th:
2.65"
25th:
.25"
28/29
4.85"

Total: 14.15"
December 2001 1st:
4.75"
2nd:
3.9"
3rd:
.45"
5th:
1"
9th:
.2"
14th:
1.65"
17th:
1.45"
19th:
1.45"
21st:
2.25"
22nd:
.15"
23rd:
1.95"
29th:
2.75"
30th:
.45"
31st:
2.0"
Total: 24.3"
January 2002 .
2nd:
4.25"
3rd:
2.0"
.
.
.
.
.
21st:
.2"
26th:
1.0"
28th:
.2"
Snow
29th:
.1"
Snow
.

Total: 7.75"
February 2002 .
7th:
2.45"
.
13th:
trace
.
17th:
1.4"
.
19th:
.95"
20th:
.2"
23rd:
.05"
.
.
.

Total: 5.05"
March 2002 6th:
2.15"
7th:
1.15"
10th:
.85"
13th:
trace
17th:
.7"
.
22nd:
1.3"
23rd:
1.1"
.
.
.
.

.
Total: 7.25"
April 2002 .
5th:
.05"
9th:
.1"
.
16/17th:
.5"
.
.
.
.
26th:
trace
27th:
.1"
29th:
.2"
30th:
.1"

Total: 1.05"
May 2002 .
.
.
.
19th:
1.7"
20th:
.2"
21st:
.15
.
.
.
.
.
.

Total: 2.05"
June 2002 .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Total:
Seasonal Total (to June 30, 2002) 64.15 Inches

          Just for comparison, you can look at a table of rainfall totals for previous seasons:

  • 2000/2001 season
  • 1999/2000 season
  • 1998/1999 season

    Highlights of the Current Season - July 2001 - June 2002

              We had a very cool summer. Temperatures were as much as 15 to 20 degrees below normal. One hot spell at the beginning of July was broken on July 4th, and very warm temperatures (90's) only re-occurred twice. Daytime temperatures averaged in the upper 70's and low 80's, with lows in the 60's for the most part. Very dry conditions, with a few rare fog incursions, were the rule.
              On September 24th, thunderstorms with active lightning and thunder arrived for much of the late afternoon and evening, leaving a trace of rainfall, and a significant rise in humidity. The first significant rain came in the early morning hours of October 30. Very heavy rain arrived the morning of November 12, at the rate of over an inch per hour. Another significant storm arrived overnight on the 28th of November, leaving almost 5 inches of rain in 9 hours. Another significant storm brought almost 9 inches of rain in 36 hours on the first weekend of December. Another 17 inches of rain fell between mid-December and early January. A long stretch of dry weather began on January 7th, ending on Monday, January 21, when a cold drizzle returned. Snowfall and cold temperatures arrived on January 28th, followed by more snow and temperatures in the 20's. February brought moderate temperatures and more rain on the 7th. More unsettled weather returned in mid-February. A dry and warm late February was followed by a cold wet early March. Artic air filtered down on March 12, followed by daytime highs only in the 30's. More rain returned on March 22nd.
              April began with a warm spell, with highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's, and dry conditions. A cold snap dropped temperatures from the low 80's on the 12th to the mid-30's on the 15th. April turned out to be quite variable, with unseasonable temperature swings and unpredictable winds. May was dry and warm until the 19th, when heavy rains swept in from the Pacific. Warm weather returned on the 23rd, and the rainy season appears to be ended now. By mid-June, hot and dry summer weather had returned.

    Season total (to June 30, 2002): 64.15 Inches

              I keep these unofficial readings as a personal interest. I have seen our reading exceed other gauges that are located at lower elevations nearby, so I figured this might be of interest to others. For rainfall amounts up to 5 inches, I use a retail rain gauge. When amounts overnight are higher than 5 inches, I use, as a backup, a simple vertical wall bucket capable of holding up to 14 inches. I have to use the bucket at least a few times every winter. In years past, I was distrustful about the unusually high rainfall readings, changing gauges and trying various methods to improve accuracy. However, after checking with neighbors, I think we are simply in a micro-climate with more rain than other places.

              There is one official California Department of Water Resources weather monitoring site located nearby, at a slightly higher elevation. They track my readings here at 2200' fairly well. You can compare for yourself, at Ben Lomond Mountain (2630', three miles up the road from here). Their measured rainfall tends to be slightly less, but the temperature tracks pretty close to our location.

              As with most places in this region, we are in a "micro-climate". Ours happens to be very wet during the rainy season, due to our location, elevation and southern exposure to incoming storms. During large storms, average winds of 40 to 60 mph are typical here. In December of 1995, we had winds approaching 100 mph, and during February, 1998, peak winds approached 85 mph. The season is officially measured from July 1 to June 30, although rain usually only falls between September and May, a typical "dry and wet" seasonal pattern. Snow does fall here, but it is usually not more than a few inches at a time. The temperature range is not too extreme, and only falls below 25 degrees a few weeks every winter. 1991 was the exception, with lows in the teens for over a week. The winters of 1973, 1975, 1982, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2002 brought significant snowfall.


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