What’s the weather like up there?
We hear this question a lot!
Did you know that we have links to weather station data and highway cameras on our webpage?
Be in the know – click here for weather station data and here for the highway cameras
Archive for Rain
The rain has come
The rains and storms have begun. Is your home ready?
CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department and San Bernardino County Fire have put out information about sandbag and sand availability through the fire departments, as well as best use practices. (Click on the links for more information)
As a Pine Cove resident, we offer a limited amount of FREE unfilled sand bags from our office as well.
Additional safety information from Idyllwild Fire Protection District on Facebook includes road safety information.
Stay safe out there if you have to go out.
US Forest Services in Riverside County
Just a quick update that I received from Jon King and his San Jacinto Trail Report. Want to see the full report? Click here and give him a follow.
Full fire restrictions are in place on Forest Service lands, as described here. All campfires anywhere in the San Jacinto mountains, including at all USFS campgrounds and yellow post sites, are now prohibited. The total fire ban has finally been extended to Riverside County lands starting 23rd August, including for example the Hurkey Creek campground (thanks to Dan Roberts for updates on the county situation).
The U.S. Forest Service ranger station in Idyllwild remains closed due to USFS coronavirus protocols. Apparently it is unlikely to reopen before October, but possibly much later. Hiking and camping permits are nevertheless required for USFS lands, and should be available at the kiosk outside the ranger station. The State Park ranger station reopened about six months ago.
WEATHER A few days of temperatures around (or even below!) seasonal for the first time in two months came to an end early this week. Daytime high temperatures will again be above average for August starting Wednesday 25th, with overnight low temperatures in particular being well above seasonal, before cooling again to about average in the first couple of days of September. As mentioned above, monsoonal rains are a possibility from 29th August to at least 2nd September. Fire risk remains severe.
Flash Flood Watch today and tomorrow!
Taken from the National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/sgx/
Update On State Route 74
The intense storm that brought great damage to our mountain roads and highways on Valentine’s Day and left the community and tourist with only one rout option off the mountain. Today, We are so excited to see that Caltrans announced an update on the accessibility via State Route 74 from Hemet.
Starting this Easter weekend, Saturday April 20th the SR-74 from Hemet to Mountain Center will be reopening with limited access. Pilot car escort access on the SR-74 is will be available Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight in both directions. These hours of operation for the pilot car will only be for this coming holiday weekend and another limited schedule will be in effect starting Monday April 22.
As of Monday April 22nd, driving the SR-74 (Mountain Center to Hemet) will be available with limited access by pilot car seven days a week. The Pilot car access will only be available from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily. This will be the continuing work and pilot car schedule until additional work is completed which will eventually open full access with flagging on the SR-74 until the completion of the project.
Be advised that with the limited access opening of SR-74 there are some Conditions that must be followed during the escort process. Per Caltrans announcement:
- Down bound motorists (coming from Mountain Center) on SR-74 for the 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. escort must be in line by 7:45 a.m. or they will not be permitted in the escort process.
- The speed limit will be 25 miles per hour during the escort.
- Motorists will not be permitted to stop or pull over during the escort.
- Motorists will not be permitted to pass other vehicles during the escort.
- The construction zone on SR 74 between Mountain Center and Borco will be a “DOUBLE FINE ZONE”.
- Sections of SR-74 will have uneven, unpaved roadbed with narrow passage. Be advised that dirt, sand, rock and mud will exist on the SR-74. Low profile vehicles are not recommended.
- No drone, video or photos will be permitted while you are using the escorts.
- Motorists must follow all commands given by the pilot workers, contractor employees, flaggers, Caltrans crews and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
- The escorts can be canceled at any time due to safety concerns for the traveling public such as slope issues, rock fall, roadbed concerns and motorists not following traffic laws or escort provisions.
Travelers will experience delays for the limited access on SR-74. All agencies involved in this massive project are committed to keeping the public safe while traveling on SR-74. The contractor will continue to work 24/7 on SR-74 to continue to expedite repairs in preparation for full access.
SR-243 is open to motorists from Idyllwild to Lake Fulmor. SR 243 remains closed from Banning to Idyllwild until further notice to the public.
Nothing Yet
Well here it is, 10:00 a.m. and there has not been a single drop of moisture yet. No rain and certainly no snow. While it is a brisk 31 degrees and very overcast with the occasional wisp of fog floating by, it is still bone dry. So it is anyone’s guess as to whether or not we will actually see any moisture out of this cold, little storm. We should be back to our normal spring temperatures by the end of the week, so I am hoping we at least get some rain today. But as we all know, we are not in charge. Mother Nature is, so we will see if she favors us with a shower.
Posted in: Rain, Snow, Storms, Weather
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Looks like nothing but sunny days for the next week. While I wish I could say rain or snow is coming, it just isn’t so. Now is a good time to get out into your garden and add some compost and mulch to help your soil absorb and retain more water. That way your outdoor watering will become more efficient and you will use less water.
We are offering FREE compost and mulch to all Pine Cove Water District customers in order to help them conserve water outside in their gardens. Yes, you heard right. FREE!!! You can help yourself as the piles of compost and mulch are located behind the water district garage/workshop right here on Marion Ridge Road. If you need an exceptionally large amount, such as a dump truck full, please stop by the office or give us a call during regular business hours. Our phone number is 951-659-2675 and we are open Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. We want to be sure there is enough for everyone, so please be considerate if you plan to take a large amount so that we can make arrangements for that. Otherwise, just help yourself.
According to Gardening for Dummies, putting down a layer of mulch in your garden will usually provide the following benefits:
- Inhibits weed germination and growth. (Weeds are not only unsightly, but they also steal resources from desirable garden plants!)
- Holds in soil moisture, protecting your plants from drying out quickly
- Moderates soil-temperature fluctuations (This benefit is especially valuable during that turbulent-weather period in spring when you don’t want your plants to be stressed.)
- In cold-winter areas, protects plant roots from winter cold and helps prevent frost-heaving, in which plants are literally pushed out of the ground by the natural expansion and contraction of the soil as it cools off and heats up
- In hot-summer areas, helps keep plant roots cooler
- Depending on what you use, adds a bit of welcome nutrition to your garden as it breaks down
So come on down and get yours today and make your plants and trees happy and save water in the process. We also have bluebird houses available to all Pine Cove Water District customers as well. Pick yours up today.
Rain Barrels
If you missed out on our rain barrel purchase program last year, fear not.
Rain Barrel from last year’s promotion.
I now have instructions that show you how to make your own rain barrel, here at the district office that you can pick up free of charge. Or you can go to this address and look it up for yourself if you’d rather.
http://www.shelterness.com/great-diy-rain-barrel-for-those-who-want-to-go-green/
Rain water harvesting is an excellent way to collect water for outside use. If you are interested in learning more about harvesting rain water, I recommend going to Brad Lancaster’s website at http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/. He is one of the leading experts in rain water harvesting and saving and reducing water usage. I highly recommend his books, videos and website as they are a wealth of information. He also shares a lot of information on how to make your property act like a sponge and retain the rain that does fall on it. He has many tips and tricks that we can all implement in our own gardens in order to take better advantage of any moisture that we do receive, such as creating berms and swales.
You can also amend the soil in your garden so that it is more absorbent and retains more water. We have free compost available for Pine Cove water customers as well as wood chips that you can apply to help retain moisture and will gradually decompose over time and add even more nutrients to the soil.
The Rain Has Arrived!
Oh happy day! The rains have arrived. So far today we have received .75 of an inch of rain, according to our weather station which is located up at the Rocky Point tank site. The rain total for February is 1.38 inches, however, that total was received in just the last 36 hours or so. That is a lot of rain for such a short period of time!
Right now it is about 10:45 a.m. and here at the district office in Pine Cove, it is raining hard and steady with the occasional burst of wind which cause the rain to go sideways. There is a light fog and the rain has periods of hard down pour and then light drizzle.
The weather forecast is calling for snow tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night. There is a possibility of 10 to 14 inches falling tonight and another 10 to 14 inches tomorrow and another 5 to 9 inches on Saturday night. Let’s hope the temperatures stay cool and we receive as much wonderful snow as possible. We need this moisture very badly and the arrival of this storm is just what the doctor ordered.
Please prepare yourself for winter weather and a lot of snow. Do not travel if you do not have to. If you do have to venture out, make sure you carry chains, a small shovel, some sand or cat litter, a couple extra blankets, some snacks, a flashlight and anything else you think you may need should you get stranded. Make sure your cell phone is charged up and ready to go before you leave.
Animals. Please, please, please take proper precautions and preparations if you have animals that live outside. No matter what animals you have, make sure they are winter weather ready. They need a shelter that is clean and dry and will protect them from the rain, wind, snow and cold. Fresh, dry, unsoiled bedding should be in place along with an area with fresh food and clean, warm water. No animal likes or wants to stand in rain, snow mud or feces.
If possible, bring your dogs inside. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of dogs are not equipped to live outside, full time, in extreme heat and cold. At the very least, please bring your dogs inside to a garage or utility room and give them some soft, warm bedding along with fresh food and clean water. Even better is a bed by the wood burner or fireplace in the same room with you. Remember, your dog loves you and wants to be around you. You are your dog’s world. Please think twice before you get a dog that has to be banished to the outside constantly. If this is the only life you can provide for a dog, perhaps this is not the season of life for you to be a dog owner. Just think how you would feel if you were banished from human contact for the majority of the time and had to live in the elements 24/7. Our animal friends depend on us for their every need, so please be the good person your dog thinks you are and provide them with lots of love and attention and tend to their physical needs.
Enjoy the rain and the snow everyone!
Posted in: Animals, Customer Infomation, From the Office, Rain, Storms, Weather
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