THE HARBOR COLUMN: Boaters should be aware of rainfall totals

We had lightning and thunderstorms recently at our cabin in Lake Arrowhead. As I drove home, clear skies emerged near the coast.

Now the clouds have descended over our area, and we will see whether tropical depression Henriette sends any monsoon-type weather as the storm turns north from the Gulf of California, into northern Mexico, and heads for New Mexico.

New Mexico is a state in the United States of America (in case you are one of the Americans I heard about recently who cannot identify the United States on a world map. Now I know that boaters read charts — or should read charts — on a consistent basis, but how often do you go sailing to New Mexico?

Do you know that last year’s rain season was recorded as the driest ever in the Southland? The rain season, for whatever reason, lasts from July 1 until June 30 each year. Tracking of Los Angeles’ rain season began in 1877.

The past season, only 3.21 inches of rain fell — 11.93 inches below normal. The normal rain fall is 15.14 inches per season for our area, which equates to only 21% of our annual rain.

We are not alone, as most of the southwestern states had below-average rain fall.

This is important for boaters to know because the lakes and rivers will have below-average water levels.

So you have to pay attention and be careful when cruising inland waterways, as you might accidentally find a hump in your path.

Tip of the week is to join us for my live radio broadcast from the Lido Yacht Expo this Saturday at 11 am.

Our broadcast booth will be on the cobblestone street across from Electra Cruise’s offices, and the show is free. The Lido Yacht Expo runs through Sunday, so come on down and climb aboard the hundreds of yachts. I recommend the free parking and shuttle, accessible at www.lidoyachtexpo.com.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to my show, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” on AM 830.

We broadcast to Southern California with 50,000 watts from our studios inside Angel Stadium. Visit www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=223608 to read the recent article about the show.

Safe Voyages.