Posted on 01/13/2007 6:06:57 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(CBS) SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Weather Service said it expected temperatures to hit record lows Friday night into Saturday morning across much of California as an arctic blast delivered rare snowfalls in low-lying southern cities and put the state's citrus industry on alert.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency citing "conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property ... as a result of extreme low temperatures and freezing conditions" that were expected for a second-straight night. Forecasters said the mercury Friday night would plunge even lower than it had Thursday night.
A Freeze Warning was in effect around the Bay Area from Friday midnight to 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Weather Service predicted temperatures would drop down to about 20 degrees Friday night in Napa and Santa Rosa, while in San Francisco forecasters expected temperatures to drop just below freezing.
As part of the governor's emergency declaration, the California National Guard opened five additional armories as temporary warming facilities in communities statewide. The Guard had operated 13 such shelters on Thursday night.
The California Highway Patrol boosted nighttime patrols to assist motorists who might become stranded in the cold, while state agriculture officials were checking for damage to the state's citrus crop.
The cold weather is threatening the nearly $1 billion worth of oranges, tangerines and lemons that have not been picked yet.
"If it gets below 25 degrees for six hours or more we could have substantial damage to the citrus industry," said A.J. Yates, California's agriculture undersecretary.
In the San Joaquin Valley, farmers scrambled to protect citrus fruit still on the trees; growers were using huge fans to circulate the air and keep the temperatures a little warmer in the fields.
About 75 percent of the citrus crop is still on trees, but its "slightly more mature" than it was in 1998, when cold weather cost significant crop losses. Older fruit is a little more resistant to cold temperatures, Yates said.
But the cold weather was not bad news for everyone.
In the inland region east of Los Angeles, children enjoyed playing in the snowfall that coated parts of Redland, Chino, Fontana, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. And in the Sierra at the Homewood Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe, the blistering wind didn't stop skiers from hitting the slopes.
Ute Gacs, who was skiing with her husband Peter, looked up to the top of the mountain and said, "We'll go out and maybe have a hot chocolate. Or maybe it's better to have a Schnapps."
Low 20's in Napa and Santa Rosa is grounds for a state of emergency? Yawwwnnnnn. San Francisco might dip below freezing? Yawwwnnnnn. My city takes that without a flinch. Oh by the way, I live in Jacksonville- Florida.
Just talked to my child who lives in Gulf Shores. She reminded me that I still don't know what humidity is. It is 70 plus degrees.
Just like here in south Texas. When the temps are predicted to go low (as they are beginning Sunday night, with lows in the mid-20's by mid-week), advisories are issued to open a spigot and let the water slowly drip, to prevent freeze-up. Can't you guys do that also?
That's for sure. I was in Monterey on 12/27, and though the air temperature in sheltered places was only in the 40's, that icy wind off the ocean felt like Barrow, Alaska. Bad day to be a commercial fisherman. ;)
I'm a Texan plumbing in San Diego, much of the water piping here is simply run outside the buildings, a mid twenties freeze here would be similar to the disaster that struck Houston in the early eighties, when it dropped to about 5 degrees. That Houston freeze caused huge amounts of destruction, when the burst pipes in the attics thawed and flooded the homes.
Even though Houstonians grow up knowing about letting faucets and hose bibbs drip during a freeze, the people here have never heard of that, a day or two in the news would not be enough to incorporate that idea here, if we even have enough water to do it with.
and the whole state has a panic attack.
what a bunch of pussies
No panic here in Northern California. It is 5 degrees out, wrapped my pipes two months ago, like I do every year, and my woodstove is putting out enough heat to keep the house toasty warm.
Put some clothes on and make breakfast.
We took the kids to Lake Arrowhead during Christmas break...both loved it, but it was soooooooooooo cold.
Nah, I went to bed instead.
I have an Air Force parka you can wear while you cook breakfast. I'll keep the bed warm. Wheat toast with butter and marmalade. Scrambled eggs with chopped yellow and green peppers. Hot black English tea with a dash of honey and a dash of that Sicilian Limoncino del Choistro lemon liquor in the square bottle. That is a drink that warms you inside out. Your whole body smells like lemons after a small amount of that. If you want to smell like oranges, get the orange liquor in the triangular bottle.
I don't spend much money on these things. But if you can find a bottle of Spanish Anis liquor in the crystal bottle, I will get you smelling like licorice:):) That goes nice in steamed coffee with steamed milk. That is the best tasting coffee I ever had:)
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