Santa Cruz County Already Facing Driest Year Ever, May Hit Hottest Year Ever In 2014

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SANTA CRUZ >> Not only has Santa Cruz County finished off its driest rain year on record, but there are early signs that 2014 could turn out to be the warmest in recorded history as well. With the rain year concluding June 30, just 13.55 inches of water fell from the sky, beating the previous record of 13.88, in 1976. Normal is 31.35 inches.

A cooling trend is expected over the weekend, but that's an exception. The dense fogs that normally swamp the coast in summer months seem to have disappeared, leaving behind sunshine and — so far — the hottest year since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1893. "It's just been really dry. (Rain) has basically been blocked for most of the year by high pressure off the coast," said Will Pi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. "The only time it really broke down was the last half of February."

Temperatures for the first six months of 2014 averaged 59.5 degrees, which would be an all-time high. The warm, dry weather presents short-term complications and is a potential sign of longer-term trouble. The most immediate impact is fire danger.

Cal Fire Unit Chief Scott Jalbert said a dry winter meant fuel conditions not normally seen until late summer were present in May. Peak staffing levels normally begin July 1, but Cal Fire has been fully staffed for six weeks. "Our fuels, because of the drought, are in prime condition for burning," Jalbert said. "When we're into the warmer days, the fuels are more primed to burn. They're ready to burn better than they have in years."

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http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/news/ci_26071371/driest-year-notched-santa-cruz-county-pace-hottest

[NYC_SKP]

1. OTOH, We'll see a LOT less overbuilding, sprawl, crowding, traffic.

Where I wanted to build, a permit was near impossible to obtain and a water meter was $40,000, with a deposit required just for them to think about it.

If you're in the salamander zone, you can only build on 1/10 the area of the lot and if you're in the coastal zone forget about it.

I ended up getting a condo instead of building on a lot, but couldn't be happier, especially knowing that the scarceness of water will discourage further building.

We'll have to be really careful about fires, however, but we've been proactive about water.

This problem has existed for a lot of coastal communities.

Cambria, for example, hasn't had an improvement in water availability for decades so the population of this cute little beach town stays the same.