I’m excited to join the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Panel Discussion this Tuesday, December 2, at 6 p.m. at the Central Coast Aquarium. 🦦🌊 Central Coast Aquarium 50 San Juan St, Avila Beach, CA 🗓️December 2 • 6 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Legends say that seeing a green flash means you will never again go wrong in matters of the heart. An old English proverb, "Glimpse you 'ere the green ray, Count the 'morrow a fine day."

4 Navy veterans, a devoted Navy mom, and our dog CoBe were reunited after seven years this Thanksgiving. Angel, Chloe, Sean, and Renee spent those years serving our country in distant combat zones, just about as far from home as one could be. This was the most meaningful Thanksgiving of my life.

High-level cirrus clouds at over 13,000 feet of altitude, composed entirely of ice crystals, caught the sun’s low-angle late November light this evening, igniting the sky in a vivid magenta glow at Morro Bay. These delicate streaks, often called mare’s tails for their whimsical appearance. 🌅

Fresh to strong (19 to 31 mph) Santa Lucia (NE) winds are forecast overnight into the morning this Tuesday & Wednesday throughout the coastal regions of the Central Coast, and strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels in Morro Bay, where the ships’ rigging will be humming like a fiddle string. 🌬️

Last week delivered much-needed rain, but the coming week will be dry across the Central Coast, with crisp autumn nights and valley fog giving way to mild, sunny afternoons through Thanksgiving Day. 🌤️🌞 For the complete Central Coast weather forecast, please visit the links below. 📰

This evening’s rain showers over the Pacific set the stage for a vibrant, colorful sunset over Los Osos. 🌦️

As of 10 a.m. this Sunday, Santa Barbara Municipal Airport has recorded 6.95 inches of rain, surpassing the previous November record of 6.92 inches set in 1965. ☔️ 📏 For the complete Central Coast weather forecast, please visit the links below: 🔗

Check out the bright banding showing up on the NEXRAD Doppler radar sites. 📻 The unusually bright layer on radar comes from the contrast between the strong reflectivity of slowly falling, melting snowflakes and the weaker reflectivity of the faster-falling raindrops below. ❄️🌧️

Between storms, I captured this photo of a Great Blue Heron gliding over Morro Bay. I also spotted a flock of Brant geese riding the post-frontal tail winds from Alaska behind yesterday’s system. 🌬️🪿

If you're a roofer, get ready — it’s going to be a very busy stretch ahead, as a prolonged period of stormy weather is expected to persist along the Central Coast through next week. 🍃☔️

From our family to yours — three proud Navy veterans: Dad, Daughter, and Son — along with my father, a World War II Army Air Corps veteran. Today, we honor all who have served and continue to serve. Fair winds and following seas to our fellow veterans!

A strengthening storm system is setting its sights on the Central Coast, appearing more intense than earlier model runs suggested. Strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph w/g 45 mph) southerly winds and periods of moderate to heavy rain are expected with the frontal passage on Thursday morning.

Woke up at 4:00 a.m. to temperatures in the low 60s here in Los Osos — no surprise, since Mount Lowe on the Cuesta Grade reported sustained Santa Lucia (northeasterly) winds of 41 mph with gusts up to 59 mph at 2 a.m. 🌬️

This morning’s king tide nearly covered Eagles’ Stump in Morro Bay. 🦅 The king tides are peaking on Thursday at nearly 7' along the Central Coast. These high tides will coincide with a 10- to 12-foot westerly (280-degree deep-water direction) swell (with a 14- to 16-second period). 👑🌊

Immensely proud of my niece Abigail, who completed the Golden Gate Half Marathon in San Francisco on Sunday—13.1 miles of pure determination!

Anais, affectionately dubbed the “Border Collie of cats” by my wife, Trish. This little fur-powered missile has endless energy, shadows us like a puppy, and insists on supervising every single thing we do. After photographing so many dogs, it only seemed fair to give a cat some camera time.

On my morning walk, before the marine layer rolled in, the first light of day created beautiful conditions for photographing birds. The soft pink-magenta glow over the bay just before sunrise felt like a quiet reassurance—another new day, full of life.

On Monday a.m., Santa Lucia winds generated stratus clouds that crested over the ridges of the Santa Lucia Mountains. 🌬️😶‍🌫️ When this pattern develops in the fall, the beaches heat up more than the inland areas. Temps rose into the 80s at the beaches, while inland valleys mainly stayed in the mid-70s.

Today, October 24, we celebrate World Polio Day. This day honors the legacy of Dr. Jonas Salk. Michelle Caretto Feldman from the Rotary Club of Los Osos took her mission to new heights—literally—by walking 500 yards on stilts to inspire others to contribute.

A typical La Niña pattern has emerged, leading to a northward shift in the mid-latitude storm track. As a result, below-average rainfall is forecasted for the Central Coast through the first week of November. Conversely, the Pacific Northwest is expected to see increased storm activity.

An upper-level low will move eastward across Central & Southern California. This system will bring widespread mid- to high-level clouds, along with a deepening marine layer and chance of showers & thunderstorms through Wednesday morning. 😶‍🌫️🌧️⛈️ Look for a potentially stunning sunset at 6:19 p.m. 🌅

I was trying to capture the green flash during this evening’s sunset, but instead caught a pair of pelicans soaring across the sun far out over the Pacific. 🌞

If you found yourself kicking off the blankets and wondering why it felt so warm last night, here’s the reason. On top of the Cuesta Grade, it was 58°F. NE winds descended roughly 2,200' toward San Luis Obispo, warming at the dry adiabatic lapse rate—about 5.4°F per 1,000 feet of descent at 2 a.m.

The newest image in my Dog Walkers of Los Osos series brings together the spirit of the Central Coast—where weather, oceanography, and hikers converge in one photograph.

Santa Lucia (NE) winds are forecast overnight into the morning this Thursday and Friday. 🌬️ These offshore winds will bring clear skies and mild conditions, with temperatures rising into the low to mid-70s. 🌡️ Meanwhile, stratus clouds are expected to form over the Santa Lucia Mountains ☁️

🎙️ Tune in today at 4:00 p.m.! Dave Congalton and I will announce the winner of our “Guess the First Day of Rain” contest live on KVEC 920 AM 👉 920kvec.com A big thank-you to San Luis Obispo County Public Works for sharing the rainfall totals: wr.slocountywater.org #CAWX @slopio.bsky.social

You rarely see a NWS map look like this for the Central Coast. Tonight’s cold front is delivering intense rainfall. My Los Osos weather station recorded a rainfall rate of 3.29 inches per hour with the frontal passage. Latest Severe Weather Statements, Watches, & Warnings visit weather.gov/lox.

While waiting for the storm to arrive, two Bald Eagles perched together on their familiar stump in Morro Bay. 🦅 It’s truly uplifting to see these majestic raptors returning to the Central Coast in such remarkable numbers. I captured this photo from the Los Osos Elfin Forest at “Siena's View”. 🌲📷

Batten down the hatches, Central Coast! Prepare for possible road closures and power outages from Monday night into Tuesday morning as a vigorous cold front, strengthened by powerful upper-level winds, sweeps across our region from north to south. 🧭 For the full forecast, visit the links below.

About 500 yards from where Highway 1 is closed by the Regent’s Slide in Big Sur, you can grab a cup of coffee at Chicken Skeleton—and even cuddle miniature donkeys! Henry Miller would’ve absolutely loved it. ☕️🐴

The cold front that gave us yesterday’s stunning sunset is now tightening the pressure gradient along the Central Coast in its wake. Batten down the hatches—this afternoon we’ll face strong to gale-force (25–38 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph) northwesterly winds in the coastal regions. 🌬️

Trish, Sean, and I visited the Hofbrau in Morro Bay, a waterfront favorite famous for its roast beef French dip. After spending the past few years deployed in Bahrain & Diego Garcia, Sean had really missed this place. While we were enjoying dinner, I took this photo from the Hofbräu’s porch. 🌄

A weakening trough lingered over Morro Bay today. Later today through Wednesday, several dying cold fronts will move over the Central Coast, bringing increasing clouds, along with a few pockets of drizzle. ☁️ Increasing NW winds, clearing skies, and drier air will develop Thursday & Friday p.m. 🌬️

A Gulf of Alaska storm will send several cold fronts to Oregon & Northern California early this week, delivering rain. 🌧️ By the time the cold fronts reach the Central Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will weaken, delivering only patchy drizzle. For the full forecast, check out the links below:

Catching that Waxing Crescent tonight — 20% bright, 100% magical. 🌙

Last night’s storm generated approximately 20K lightning strikes across the Central Coast, according to blitzortung.org. ⛈️ Closer to home in Baywood Park, my Tempest weather station detected 341 strikes and measured 0.82 inches of rainfall, while my standard rain gauge recorded 0.71 inches. 📏

The National Weather Service Doppler radar is tracking a line of severe thunderstorms moving west-northwest across San Luis Obispo County, heading toward the coast, and bringing moderate to heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes. ⛈️

Here is one more from tonight.

Thousands of lightning strikes lit up the Central Coast tonight. I captured this view from Baywood Park, looking south toward Montaña de Oro State Park. Periods of convective showers and thunderstorms, with occasional clearing, are expected to continue through Wednesday. ⛈️

Moisture from an upper-level low off the coast of Southern California will bring clouds, higher humidity, and a chance of showers & thunderstorms 🌧️⛈️. Rainfall: 0.10–0.75" (locally higher near thunderstorms). 📏 Showers may start this afternoon and continue into early Thursday for the Central Coast.

Henry, Max, Sean, & I went dirt bike riding in eastern San Luis Obispo County, where the trails were moist—almost as if a water truck had just passed through. Another round of rain is on the way Tuesday into Wednesday—rain and thunderstorms. 🌦️⛈️ For the complete forecast, check out the links below:

I’ll be on the Dave Congalton Show today (Sept 19) from 4–5 p.m. on KVEC 920 AM / 96.5 FM (920kvec.com ). Call 805-543-8830 to guess the first day the Central Coast gets 1" of rain in a day—winner gets a $100 Luna Red gift card! 🌧️🎙️ @LunaRed_SLO @920KVEC

Much of the rain showing up on this a.m.'s Doppler radar isn’t reaching the ground in SLO County—it’s virga, evaporating in the lower levels of the atmosphere. As the day goes on, measurable rainfall is expected, along with thunderstorms as uneven surface heating increases atmospheric instability. ⛈️

Sean — Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., LAX. At last, our boy is Homeward Bound.

Abundant subtropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario will stream across the Central Coast today through Friday, bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms. ⚡ Remember: If thunder roars, go indoors—there is no safe place outside during a thunderstorm.

Both the GFS & ECMWF suggest that the heaviest rainfall will likely remain east of San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties. Even so, the main axis of rain could still shift farther west as the forecast is expected to evolve. 🌦️⛈️ Please visit the NWS at weather.gov/lox for updates.

Subtropical moisture from Mario’s remnants is forecast to bring rain and thunderstorms beginning Thursday and lasting into Friday a.m. in San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties. 🌧️⛈️ The GFS 1800Z run is projecting many Central Coast locations to receive over 1.5" & some approaching 3".

I captured a photo of a Great Egret at Morro Bay. The scene was shades of gray, with the bird’s yellow beak standing out. It resonates with the way Claude Monet emphasized a different bright color on a canvas of similar hues or how Claude Debussy wove a brilliant note into a muted musical score. 🎨🎶

Sean is coming home from the Navy from Diego Garcia. Fittingly, he will be “bringing the tropics” with him: subtropical moisture is expected to stream into Central and Southern California later this week.🪸 This could mean showers, a chance of thunderstorms, and warm nights. 🪭🌦️⛈️