Cazadero Rain Grows Redwood Trees
This page issued February 10
, 2007
** January rainfall 0.93" - Below normal
Season rainfall stats at bottom of page.
Current weather by Travelforecast.com
In the year 2000, there were more trees in Cazadero's forest than were here in the year 1900.
CALIF. RAIN RANKING
Cazadero is the 2nd rainiest spot in Calif. with 80 - 85 inches annual rainfall (Gasquet in Del Norte County has the highest average with 90 inches). In 1937 it rained 143 inches.
FOG FACT
Moisture from summer fogs cool the Pacific Coast Redwood (Sequoia semperviron) trees that have a low tolerance to sustained heat. Very little moisture from fog drip actually reaches their root systems in Cazadero's forest. Mature redwoods consume in excess of 500 gallons of water daily.
(Photo by Catherine Canelis)
From The Rain Chart
If all the water drops from the 1936-1937 season's rainfall didn't run off in streams, be absorbed by the soil or evaporate, the canyon town of Cazadero would be Lake Cazadero with a depth of nearly 12 feet. Now add the 12 feet of water from the surrounding mountainous slopes to the lake. That's a lot of rain water folks!
Strange As It May Seem
most springs around Cazadero run the fullest when there is a heavy snow pack in the Sierra Nevada. In 1963 the U. S. Federal Government tested many springs as a part of a soil conservation project and found that they have the same mineral content as those tested in the Sierra.
Cazadero Water Dog Folklore
When the Water Dogs (Red Belly Newts) are traveling uphill heavy rains are to come. When heading downhill the rains are over.
Signing in the rain
When George Montgomery signed the purchase agreement for the town of Ingrams (Cazadero) on January 20, 1888 it was raining heavily.
Snow?
[See photos at bottom left of page]
When an artic storm with a high moisture content occurs it will snow in the region. Last big snow occurred on January 2, 1974. Snow drifts were from 4 to 6 feet deep. Trees in the forest can't handle snow loads and suffered much damage in the '74 storm. Deadfall produced from this storm fed the "Creighton Ridge" forest fire that broke out on August 9, 1978. The fire burned over 12,000 acres of timber land, 29 homes and 2 businesses.
*My prediction
Before the year 2050 Austin Creek will be dammed
for electric power and water for western Sonoma county. It will be named Austin Dam so as to avoid a name conflict with the Cazadero Dam (now Faraday Dam) on the Clackamas River at Estacada, Oregon. In the early 1940s Austin Creek was surveyed by the Federal government for a permanent dam. A site was chosen about a mile north of town near where Bone Creek enters Austin Creek.
June 2003 update: Sonoma County is running out of water and considering new sources
Have a Cazadero fortune? E-mail me. Gary Rodgers
Cazadero, California
Location:
Lat. 38° 32' 03" N
Long. 123° 05' 10" W
Climate:
Mediterranean type (Cse) -- mesothermal forest climate.
Rainfall:
Most of the season's rainfall is from late October through April. As the storms approach from the south the warm moist air is forced to rise over the 2000-foot Pole Mountain and its ridges (Orographic uplifting). The rising air cools as it lifts and since cold air doesn't hold as much water as warm air, it falls out as rain on Cazadero's surrounds.
Cazadero generally doesn't have more storms than other coastal communities - just more rainfall.
Natural Vegetation Zone Classification:
Mixed broadleaf - deciduous and needleleaf evergreen. Pacific Coast Redwood Forest Belt.
Cazadero Rainfall
(inches) 2006-2007
24.41
2005-2006
106.53
2004-2005
82.50
2003-2004
81.43
2002-2003
78.52
2001-2002
70.14
2000-2001
44.65
1999-2000
71.20
1998-1999
70.32
1997-1998
117.77
1996-1997
76.47
1995-1996
74.96
1994-1995
117.45
1993-1994
48.05
1992-1993
88.60
1982-1983
121.25
1936-1937
143
Sunday March 4, 1888
After three days of pouring Cazadero rain, Cornelia Trosper entered into her daily diary the following:
"A very rainy AM. The creek is high and the boys are rained in. Ernest, his trip is spoiled but will wait another day. It has been a terrible rainy day, but such will have an end. We are tired (of it)."
On Tuesday, it stopped raining, but everything froze over.
CAZ WEB SITES TO VISIT:
Cazadero -- One Hundred Years
New Year's day 1900. It was raining with fierce winds that buffeted and swayed the area's towering redwood trees. Cazadero's residents kept their horses and wagons protected in their barns, and largely stayed home huddled around the warmth of their fire places discussing events of the past year. Egg nog was prepared in the kitchen using old time proven recipes to stimulate the palate.
New Year's day 2000. The temperature was 30° F, and frost glistened on the open slopes around Cazadero. A light cool moist fog rested snugly in the canyons and the sky above was darkened by a blanket of stratus clouds that had drifted in from the ocean. Residents largely stayed home huddled around their television sets watching the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, or viewing world-wide breaking news events that were happening at the moment. Automobiles were parked outdoors and ready to make a quick trip to the store in town if the egg nog ran short.
SNOW PHOTOS
Snow at the Rodgers'
ranch gate elev. 1000'
JAN. 7, 1974
(Photo by Gary Rodgers)
Snow on Pole Mountain
JAN. 28, 2002
(Photo by Natelie Canelis)
Cazadero's Current Rainfall
JANUARY 2007
The 2005-2006 season's ending rainfall at the Rodgers' Ranch on Mohrhardt Ridge, Cazadero (Elev. 950 ft./SL) totaled 106.53" at 144% of station's yearly average. (Seasons are from July 1 to June 30).
We have recorded the Seventh month (Jan.) of the 2006-2007 rainfall season's moisture.
Jan. moisture registered 0.93" in the rain gauge; normal rainfall is 14.08". Season total 24.41" (Normal 41.35" YTD).
2002-2004 Seasons' Monthly Rainfall
(Rainfall in inches)
'02-03 '03-04 July 0.00 July 0.08 August 0.05 August 0.02
September 0.00 September 0.12
October 0.07 October 0.03
November 6.24 November 7.34
December 37.02 December 32.70
January 12.46 January 12.64
February 3.95 February 22.10
March 7.11 March 3.25
April 10.57 April 2.82
May 1.00 May 0.33
June 0.05 June 0.00 (T)
Current weather by Travelforecast.com
Cazadero is the 2nd rainiest spot in Calif. with 80 - 85 inches annual rainfall (Gasquet in Del Norte County has the highest average with 90 inches). In 1937 it rained 143 inches.
Moisture from summer fogs cool the Pacific Coast Redwood (Sequoia semperviron) trees that have a low tolerance to sustained heat. Very little moisture from fog drip actually reaches their root systems in Cazadero's forest. Mature redwoods consume in excess of 500 gallons of water daily.
(Photo by Catherine Canelis)
If all the water drops from the 1936-1937 season's rainfall didn't run off in streams, be absorbed by the soil or evaporate, the canyon town of Cazadero would be Lake Cazadero with a depth of nearly 12 feet. Now add the 12 feet of water from the surrounding mountainous slopes to the lake. That's a lot of rain water folks!
most springs around Cazadero run the fullest when there is a heavy snow pack in the Sierra Nevada. In 1963 the U. S. Federal Government tested many springs as a part of a soil conservation project and found that they have the same mineral content as those tested in the Sierra.
When the Water Dogs (Red Belly Newts) are traveling uphill heavy rains are to come. When heading downhill the rains are over.
When George Montgomery signed the purchase agreement for the town of Ingrams (Cazadero) on January 20, 1888 it was raining heavily.
When an artic storm with a high moisture content occurs it will snow in the region. Last big snow occurred on January 2, 1974. Snow drifts were from 4 to 6 feet deep. Trees in the forest can't handle snow loads and suffered much damage in the '74 storm. Deadfall produced from this storm fed the "Creighton Ridge" forest fire that broke out on August 9, 1978. The fire burned over 12,000 acres of timber land, 29 homes and 2 businesses.
*My prediction
Before the year 2050 Austin Creek will be dammed
for electric power and water for western Sonoma county. It will be named Austin Dam so as to avoid a name conflict with the Cazadero Dam (now Faraday Dam) on the Clackamas River at Estacada, Oregon. In the early 1940s Austin Creek was surveyed by the Federal government for a permanent dam. A site was chosen about a mile north of town near where Bone Creek enters Austin Creek.
Have a Cazadero fortune? E-mail me. Gary Rodgers
Location:
Lat. 38° 32' 03" N
Long. 123° 05' 10" W
Climate:
Mediterranean type (Cse) -- mesothermal forest climate.
Rainfall:
Most of the season's rainfall is from late October through April. As the storms approach from the south the warm moist air is forced to rise over the 2000-foot Pole Mountain and its ridges (Orographic uplifting). The rising air cools as it lifts and since cold air doesn't hold as much water as warm air, it falls out as rain on Cazadero's surrounds.
Natural Vegetation Zone Classification:
Mixed broadleaf - deciduous and needleleaf evergreen. Pacific Coast Redwood Forest Belt.
| Cazadero Rainfall
(inches) | ||
| 2006-2007 |
|
2005-2006 |
|
2004-2005 |
|
2003-2004 |
|
| 2002-2003 |
| |
| 2001-2002 |
| |
| 2000-2001 |
| |
| 1999-2000 |
| |
| 1998-1999 |
| |
| 1997-1998 |
| |
| 1996-1997 |
| |
| 1995-1996 |
| |
| 1994-1995 |
| |
| 1993-1994 |
| |
| 1992-1993 |
| |
| 1982-1983 |
| |
| 1936-1937 |
| |
After three days of pouring Cazadero rain, Cornelia Trosper entered into her daily diary the following:
"A very rainy AM. The creek is high and the boys are rained in. Ernest, his trip is spoiled but will wait another day. It has been a terrible rainy day, but such will have an end. We are tired (of it)."
On Tuesday, it stopped raining, but everything froze over.
New Year's day 1900. It was raining with fierce winds that buffeted and swayed the area's towering redwood trees. Cazadero's residents kept their horses and wagons protected in their barns, and largely stayed home huddled around the warmth of their fire places discussing events of the past year. Egg nog was prepared in the kitchen using old time proven recipes to stimulate the palate.
New Year's day 2000. The temperature was 30° F, and frost glistened on the open slopes around Cazadero. A light cool moist fog rested snugly in the canyons and the sky above was darkened by a blanket of stratus clouds that had drifted in from the ocean. Residents largely stayed home huddled around their television sets watching the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, or viewing world-wide breaking news events that were happening at the moment. Automobiles were parked outdoors and ready to make a quick trip to the store in town if the egg nog ran short.
Snow at the Rodgers'
ranch gate elev. 1000'
JAN. 7, 1974
(Photo by Gary Rodgers)
Snow on Pole Mountain
JAN. 28, 2002
JANUARY 2007
The 2005-2006 season's ending rainfall at the Rodgers' Ranch on Mohrhardt Ridge, Cazadero (Elev. 950 ft./SL) totaled 106.53" at 144% of station's yearly average. (Seasons are from July 1 to June 30).
| 2002-2004 Seasons' Monthly Rainfall
(Rainfall in inches) | |
| '02-03 '03-04 | |
| July 0.00 July 0.08 | August 0.05 August 0.02 | September 0.00 September 0.12 | October 0.07 October 0.03 | November 6.24 November 7.34 | December 37.02 December 32.70 | January 12.46 January 12.64 | February 3.95 February 22.10 | March 7.11 March 3.25 | April 10.57 April 2.82 | May 1.00 May 0.33 | June 0.05 June 0.00 (T) |