The Pineapple Express
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
United States
March 6, 2016 9:19am CST
As a child living in Southern California, I learned to read the weather. I could tell if a storm was coming by the way my sinus reacted to the pressure fronts coming through the area. I watched the news and learned that sometimes, at least when I was a kid, storms stacked up along the coast and took turns dumping rain on us as they moved eastward.
The weather experts have learned a great deal over the years and have developed far more skill than they had when I first started paying attention. Weather satellites have helped a great deal. Now, you can see the storms coming, and not just feel them.
El Niño is clearly visible on satellite images. So is the Pineapple Express. This is a funnel of moisture that stretches from the western Pacific, over Hawaii and straight into California. We are experiencing the Pineapple Express right now. It is raining hard. It started after two o'clock this morning when the rain on my roof woke me up.
The first thing I do each morning is go online and check several sites. One of them is weather dot com. There are five weather alerts this morning. Usually there are none, but sometimes one or two might show up. This is what they are today: High Surf Warning, Coastal Flooding Advisory, High Surf Advisory, Wind Advisory, Local Pollen Alert. These are courtesy of the Pineapple Express and El Niño.
So if you wondered if the weather forecast for California was correct, and if there would be rain from today’s storm as it passes over SoCal, here’s your answer. It brought more than rain. It brought weather. A bigger storm is coming tomorrow. I’m sure it will bring more of the same. But that’s okay with me. I’m ready.
Do you get prepared each time a weather event is forecast for your area, or are you like me, always prepared?
17 people like this
17 responses
@LadyDuck (502189)
• Italy
6 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace My elbow never lies. Today it was sunny, it helps to melt the snow.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
@LadyDuck I bet this type of thing was used by our ancient ancestors. Hey, maybe this is why some people were thought of as witches. They had their own personal early warning systems.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
So your elbow works like my sinus. It's an early warning system. At least you got something out of the break.
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
There is only one of me in the house. I keep three cases of 24 bottles of water for emergencies. Twice a year I use up one of the cases and replace it, so the water is always potable.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
8 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace I suppose that the name Hawaii conjures up great images for most people.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
@Asylum Yes, but since in SoCal we can grow many of the same plants, we can make our gardens feel very tropical. Plus, Hawaii is a neighboring state, if you don't count the water between us.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
Yes, it does. But Californian's have always had a soft spot for Hawaii.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
After a few years of weather problems, you would think most people would learn, but they don't. Otherwise, stores would not be packed and then cleared out when a storm approaches.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
You would think so, but nope. We have so many flowering plants, even in winter, that the pollen is still bugging people who are allergic to it.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
6 Mar 16
I also know when a cold front is coming, I get a sinus pressure face ache, over and under the eyes. But the local guys tell me about the rain coming :)
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
One benefit I had when I moved from living in a valley to living at the coast is that I get far fewer of the face aches that you described. They were really terrible living in valleys. I don't know why this has made a difference, but I never want to go back.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189792)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Mar 16
I listen to weather and pay heed to the next few days. We con't have harsh weather so I am not a weather guru or anything. I don't go out in it a lot so I am prepared to be indoors. Haha Loved the thunder and lightning storm we had in February. That doesn't happen. This year has been weird weather all over.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
Yes, it has. It messed up a big trip I took to Key West this past December. It was many degrees hotter than usual and super humid, which is not normal for winter there.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
7 Mar 16
Not many would depend on weather predictions but you seem to be a 'staunch' believer. There are certain situations where even if the predictions are right one cannot be prepared such as those tornados.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
People who live where there are tornadoes know that they will come several times during certain months. The exact day will be unpredictable, but the storms themselves are not.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
Living on islands makes paying attention to weather reports really important, especially since you get such terrible storms.
@silvermist (19701)
• India
6 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace I must say it is nice that you are always ready for all types of weather.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
It means that I am rarely taken by surprise, which gives me much more freedom.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
6 Mar 16
I would hope so, since you really have weather in Canada (compared to where I live).
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
7 Mar 16
We live in such a rural area. We try to stay prepared.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
That makes good sense, since you have to drive to get what you need. This would be tough if there was a storm.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Mar 16
We are generally prepared for rain In Oregon. Sometimes high winds take the area by surprise. I am so glad to hear that your area is finally getting some rain. I read that thunder and lightning are happening today.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
Yes, they did. I unplugged all electronics and read most of the day.
This month, it looks like several storms will come our way. They are spaced out with a few dry days in between. This will help.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Mar 16
This is the same here. It is easy to see the storms lining up off the coast, just like yours.
2 people like this
@jstory07 (148720)
• Roseburg, Oregon
11 Mar 16
Right now I am always prepared and will do the same when we move.
