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February Almanac
My personal records begin in 1980, when I began a daily calendar of weather data, noting the arrival and departure of migrating birds and the depth of ice on lakes, ponds and barrels. I, too, agree: February is as tough as it gets. On Feb. 20, 1980, I was living in Whispering Pines and, unfortunately, was in El Cajon that day. I will never forget the drive that night. Naturally, I drove up Interstate 8, and then climbed up Highway 79 to Lake Cuyamaca. Cold Stream Trail totally overflowed, and at the southeast side of Kelly's Trout Ponds, the creek was ripping north into Lake Cuyamaca. Somehow I carefully slid by at the corner of Camp Hual-Cu-Cuish. By 9 p.m., I was home. And sitting in my driveway was my 1979 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser; I made the mistake of driving the Ford station wagon that day. The children woke up and dashed into the house and I picked up my flashlight and headed to the rain gauge: 6 inches and overflowing. Rain continued heavily all night, a steady pounding of rain fortunately without heavy winds.
Across Farmer Road, Ralph Slaughter recorded 9 inches; Charlie Long in Wynola recorded over 10.20 inches. The next day, the road to Camp Cedar Glen breached Farmer Road and the culvert flowed down 40 feet away, stranding everyone north of the intersection of Farmer Road and Camp Cedar Glen Road for weeks. Was this the 100-year storm? No, not even close. Julian's Zip Code of 92036 stretches from North Peak, Cuyamaca at 6,512 feet, north to Lake Henshaw, east to Earth Quake Valley (now called Shelter Valley) and Canebrake; the average elevation is 1,200 feet to 2,500 feet. This clearly shows the wide extremes of elevation, which corresponds to precipitation.
How much rainfall will we see this month? We will know on March 1. Combined with the extreme rainfall are the temperatures. I only have the data from the Weather Channel; which receives its data from Julian CDF. The record low temperature for February is 4 degrees. Also 5 degrees and 8 degrees; these temperatures are sobering and let's admit it, this is southern California, not Montana. The average low temperature is 30 degrees and the record high is 75 degrees. Basically, you can interpret these temperatures and realize that any night water pipes will freeze, the ground will freeze to 1 inch to 2 inches. Additionally, I've seen ice 4 inches to 6 inches thick on Lake Cuyamaca. Only ripping, chilling east winds finally broke the water's surface into chunks, which accumulated all along the east side of the lake. February is an interval of extremes, just the opposite of July, which is truly the hottest and driest month of the year. February quickly dispatches the casual camper or weekender and the residents who survive have propane heat, wood stoves and fireplaces. Power and telephone lines will break and with that, there goes your expensive telephone. Always have a telephone that does not require electricity. February can be a delightful, quiet time of year, as the storms pound into snow and silence rules this land. For those of you who remember the 12 inches of snow last March, if snow falls on the weekend, forget driving. Don't even think you can go anywhere in four-wheel drive, as the winter wonderland now has roads turned into a nasty mess of what appears to be a quarter of the population of Santee or El Cajon in complete gridlock. Go for a walk, that's usually safe, as these old roads were built for wagons, not Chryslers. As with the rainfall, extreme temperatures will be known on March 1.
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