Weather - or Not
Up With the Sun, Down with the Toll Road!

Ah, sweet bliss! There's still a God, thank God! Eighty-one degrees last Saturday and Sunday and in San Onofre two- to fourfoot clean, glassy water up to 59 degrees. Weather or Not's arms feel like noodles after seven hours in the water. But it's a healthy tired!

We really deserved this gorgeous weekend. Both days saw summer-like crowds. They were so stoked. Even the day visitors were all smiles, mellow and polite, not cranky, just happy to be soaking those long-absent rays.

And the sun is getting higher in the sky. Sunrise today (Monday, Feb. 11) at 6:41 a.m. and sunset at 5:32 p.m. So we've gained 71 minutes of daylight since the shortest day. Whoopee - the dark ages are coming to an end! Plus, daylight savings begins in just four weeks!

A large ridge of high pressure has settled in over the Southwest, creating a mild offshore flowand resulting in dry, warm conditions minus the strong northeast winds, only 20 to 25 miles per hour below canyons and passes so no red flagalerts to worry about. January's ample moisture helped make sure of that!

As we speak the Anza-Borrego Desert is a carpet of color thanks to well above normal rainfall last month and 80-degree temps over the weekend. Next month the upper deserts will follow suit.

Getting back to San Onofre. It was like one big surf party all weekend. It's like the planets lined up. Sure, it was very crowded down there, but it wasn't just about vying for waves. Rather, it was a celebration of the 8-2 decision to turn down the proposed extension of the "troll" road. It's been an uphill battle against those @#$% s, and the fight will continue since the money grubbers want their way.

Listen, it was never about traffic congestion, as their propaganda wants us to believe. It's about raping the land for more cookiecutter housing and malls ad nauseam. Uh uh, not on my shift. But "they" won't give up. If these underground reptiles had gotten their way, there would have been mass sabotage, 'cause peace and love don't cut it no mo'. How do you spell revolution?

Back in '71, when Nixon passed the law making it a state park, the report included: "There shall be no encroachment - so our kids and their kids and their kids can enjoy it for generations to come." So take your "troll" road and build it where the sun don't shine!

Thank you Surfrider Foundation, and the people, for standing up and speaking out. When you believe that strongly, as we did, amazing things can happen. Hear that Jorge, Dick and company? 'Nuff said! Rick Conkey for mayor!
See ya next week!
Dennis McTighe is serious about the weather! While serving in the US Air Force, he was Meteorologist 61st MAW, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii from 1969-1972. He has a B.S. in earth sciences from UC San Diego and told us, "I even pulled off a 3.7 GPA back when I still had an attention span." Dennis was a NOAA forecaster from 1979 until November, 1993 - Reported weather and surf and ski conditions on KSBR from '86-'91 - Had a weekly science/ weather segment on Terry Neptune's "Hello Laguna" and has kept a personal daily weather diary everyday since 1957.