The storms aren’t helping at all

DENNIS McTIGHE

Well, we’re zero for nine so far in the Baja swell department. The

latest storm, tropical storm Ignacio formed Aug. 21 near land north

of Manzanillo and traveled northwest close to the Mexican mainland,

drifted past Cabo and slid up the Gulf of California.

He dropped plenty of rain with gusty winds but no severe damage

and sent waves up the Gulf all the way to Guaymas.

Of course it was gloomy all day on Labor Day and today, Tuesday,

it’s sunny, warm and tropical.

It’s an arrangement.

Yet another surge of tropical moisture is invading the region.

A large mushroom cloud is expanding over Mt. San Jacinto, as well

as Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms, which got nailed

so hard last week it’s been re-named Twentyfour Palms.

August ocean temps resembled the Dow Jones -- up to 71 degrees,

down to 58 degrees, up to 68 degrees, down to 57 degrees, ad nauseum.

Today, Tuesday the Sept. 2, it’s 67 degrees but we’re being

battered by the “enemy” (stinkin’ Westerlies) since 10 a.m. so it

will plunge back to 60 degrees by tomorrow.

The 10th named storm of the season formed 1000 miles

east/southeast of Hawaii out of our surf window of course and steamed

westward, became a category 2 and today is giving the islands a 10 to

15 foot east/southeast to southeast groundswell.

Texas just had a 4 to 7 foot southeast swell from tropical storm

Grace, the east coast is enjoying a pulse from hurricane Henry.

We get nothing. 2003 is not our turn.

If the first 10 haven’t delivered, the next 10 won’t either. The

tone has already been set.

That means another no-go at Brooks Street.

I see a 6.0 to 7.0 shaker before ’03 is over.

Stay tuned!

* DENNIS McTIGHE is a Laguna Beach resident. He earned a

bachelor’s in earth sciences from UCSD and was a U.S. Air Force

weather forecaster at Hickman Air Force Base, Hawaii.