River Notes Archive

River Notes for Tuesday, February 29, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Baker Point (7754 ft.) is a good indicator of the snow level in the Kern River basin. We didn't see much snow on the peak earlier this season, but in a remarkable turn-around the snowpack in the Southern Sierra is now at about 100% of normal for the date.

Check out the ForPlays, XXXs, Zs and other new whitewater, touring, and recreational boats in the New Boat Barn.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. Don't miss the free Perception/Sierra South whitewater kayak clinic and demo March 4th & 5th from 9:00am to 4pm at Kernville. Come and checkout the new Method Air, Amp, and Stikine! Call us for details.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Thursday, February 24, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Yesterday's vigorous cold front was impressive, resulting in some heavy rain, thundershowers across the San Joaquin Valley and Southern Sierra, and even reports of a "tornado" in downtown Los Angeles. The Kernville RAWS recorded about 0.7 inch of rain. Similar precipitation amounts were reported at Beach Meadows and the Chagoopa Plateau.

With the passage of each system the snowpack edges closer to normal. Yesterday's Summary of Snow Water Equivalents reported the SWC in the south to be 92% of normal and today's should be higher. March 1 snow course measurements are just around the corner and will give us a more accurate picture of the snowpack status.

A fast moving system is forecast to move through the area overnight, with another system expected on Sunday. The storm track has shifted north somewhat and it appears the focus of these systems will be in the Northern half of the state.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. Don't miss the free Perception/Sierra South whitewater kayak clinic and demo March 4th & 5th from 9:00am to 4pm at Kernville. Come and checkout the new Method Air, Amp, and Stikine! Call us for details.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, February 18, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Computer models did a masterful job of forecasting the behavior of the upper low currently off the Southern California coast. Yesterday it appeared the low might move onshore, but the system has followed the track predicted by the short term models, and the bulk of the moisture associated with this low should stay offshore through Saturday. The first low will help moisten the atmosphere ahead of another system that is forecast to move into the area later on Sunday. This system is expected to bring more widespread and significant precipitation.

A water vapor satellite photo from this morning shows an extensive sub-tropical moisture connection associated with the Sunday-Monday system. GOES remote soundings show precipitable water values of 1.0-1.5 inch over much of the area where moisture is being entrained. If current MRF forecasts verify, next week could be a very wet week for California, and the Southern Sierra snowpack may reach levels unthinkable just a few weeks ago. We'll see!

(02/19 Update. Check out the 150+ knot jet stream driving the Sunday-Monday system into the blocking upper level ridge over the Pacific Northwest. This water vapor satellite photo was taken 7:30 PST Saturday morning. Kind of looks like a fast tongue of current plowing into a mid-stream rock. There's even a pillow. All that energy has to go somewhere, and in this case the flow is forecast to buckle and result in a deep trough that will bring us our rain and snow.)

Evan's all smiles because there is water again! Don't waste it... Come try the new Perception whitewater kayaks for free! Join Team Perception and Sierra South Paddle Sports for a spin in the new Method Air, Amp, and Stikine, on March 4th & 5th from 9:00am to 4pm. Meet at the deck at Sierra South. We should have 10-15 boats to demo. Bring your own boat and gear to be able to trade out boats. The clinic will be informal and fun. We will decide the itinerary based upon experience, water flows, weather, etc. Please contact us to reserve a spot on the 1st comers list. We may have to assign different days to different people if we get too huge a response. Perception has an evolutionary new outfitting system which should take the industry by storm! Adjustable thigh braces you say? ...Come see! You may also call to be put on the 1st comers list. Of course you can still just show up and take your chances. We want everyone to see these boats!

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Wednesday, February 16, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Evan's all smiles because there is water again! Don't waste it... Come try the new Perception whitewater kayaks for free! Join Team Perception and Sierra South Paddle Sports for a spin in the new Method Air, Amp, and Stikine, on March 4th & 5th from 9:00am to 4pm. Meet at the deck at Sierra South. We should have 10-15 boats to demo. Bring your own boat and gear to be able to trade out boats. The clinic will be informal and fun. We will decide the itinerary based upon experience, water flows, weather, etc. Please contact us to reserve a spot on the 1st comers list. We may have to assign different days to different people if we get too huge a response. Perception has an evolutionary new outfitting system which should take the industry by storm! Adjustable thigh braces you say? ...Come see! You may also call to be put on the 1st comers list. Of course you can still just show up and take your chances. We want everyone to see these boats!

More snow for the Kern River basin. Overnight snow sensors recorded about 0.3 inches snow water equivalent, and satellite and radar loops shows another band of precipitation headed for the Central/Southern Sierra. It appears the upper low will track into the area as well, and bring with it the possibility of isolated heavy showers or thundershowers. With the additional snowfall, the snowpack in the Southern Sierra continues to improve, and ensemble forecasts suggest the wet pattern may continue over the next 10-14 days.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Monday, February 14, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Phenomenal snowfall amounts in the Sierra Nevada the last 24 hours! Approximate 24 hour Kern River basin snow water equivalents: Upper Tyndall Creek: 2.7 inches, Chagoopa Plateau: 4.6, Pascoes: 2.9, Wet Meadows: 4.1, Beach Meadows: 2.13. In the last 24 hours the Kernville RAWS recorded 1.12 inches of rain, and Johnsondale about 2.23 inches.

At one time (Saturday afternoon) the moisture entraining fetch of the flow that produced this precipitation extended nearly to the dateline and the origin of the tap covered some 20-25 degrees of longitude.

At the moment things have calmed down a bit, with scattered light showers and snow showers in the Southern Sierra, but more rain and snow is on the way. Radar shows the frontal zone associated with this system working its way south. Morning satellite photos also show a blob of moisture at 30N/135W that appears to be associated with a jet max moving rapidly toward the coast. This moisture looks like it should rotate up into the Southern Sierra later this afternoon or evening.

Update: This afternoon substantial clearing is occurring behind the front, but some orographically induced precipitation appears to be continuing over the Southern Sierra. SSMI data shows that an area of precipitation is remaining well offshore, near 135-140W. Scattered showers are expected to diminish overnight.

The snow level has ranged from about 5000 ft. up to about 8000 ft. At Beach Meadows (7650 ft.) about half of the 2.13 inches of precipitation the last 24 hours left the snowpack. The moderately high snow level has resulted in increased flow on the Upper Kern with the Kern at Kernville currently at about 1500 cfs.

The snowpack in the Sierra has come a long way since New Years Day. On January 1 the Kern River basin had about 1 inch water equivalent of snow, Mammoth Mountain was operating on a base of 15-20 inches of (mostly) man-made snow and Tioga Pass was open for the first time in 20 years.. Since then about 10-12 inches water equivalent has been added to the Kern snowpack, Mammoth has received about 240 inches of snow, and Tioga Pass is definitely closed!

The next 10-14 days appear promising, with both the U.S. and Canadian ensembles forecasting a continuation of the current wet pattern.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, February 11, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

A strong Winter storm is setting its sights on the Southern Sierra tonight and tomorrow, with another storm expected Monday or Tuesday. The NWS forecast for the Kern County Mountains has snow levels dropping to about 4500 ft.

In the last 24 hours the Kernville RAWS recorded 0.4 inches of rain, and Johnsondale about 1.1 inches. Approximate 24 hour Kern River basin snow water equivalents: Upper Tyndall Creek: 0.7, Pascoes: 1.1, Wet Meadows: 1.2, Beach Meadows: 0.5

Much of this rainy season there has been a marked fall-off in precipitation from north to south, in California. This pattern was predicted as a result of the ongoing La Nina, and can be clearly seen in WRCC's Percent of Normal Precipitation for Water Year graphic. Things have improved somewhat in the last 28 days, but the La Nina cutoff of precipitation in Southern California is still clearly evident.

Today's 10-Day Precipitation Outlook for the Conterminous U.S. (from IGES) suggests the wet weather will continue over the next 10 days, with the Northern half of the state receiving more precipitation than the Southern half, but with the Southern Sierra getting its fair share.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Thursday, February 10, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

Johnsondale received about 0.5 inch of rain overnight, and higher elevation snow sensors in the Kern River basin recorded about a 0.25 inch water equivalent. If medium range forecasts and longer range ensemble forecasts hold true, this could be the beginning of an extended wet period for the northern two-thirds of the state.

Much of this rainy season there has been a marked fall-off in precipitation from north to south, in California. This pattern was predicted as a result of the ongoing La Nina, and can be clearly seen in WRCC's Percent of Normal Precipitation for Water Year graphic. Things have improved somewhat in the last 28 days, but the La Nina cutoff of precipitation in Southern California is still clearly evident.

Once again the Southern Sierra is forecast to receive less precipitation than areas to the north, but over the next two weeks the Kern River basin could see some significant rain and snow, and an improvement in its snowpack status. Since these storms will be southern stream systems, snow levels may be relatively high, but the Kern's basin is high enough that much of the precipitation it receives should still be in the form of snow.

In the short term, the AVN computer model seems to have a better grasp of the current situation and, based on that model, precipitation in the Southern Sierra should increase somewhat later today, lessen on Friday, and then increase again on Saturday. The current run of the MRF shows another wet system moving into the state on Valentine's Day. We'll see.

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, February 4, 2000

Important information about River Notes.

There was a little light snow overnight in the upper elevations of the Kern River basin. The outlook is for continued unsettled weather.

A difficult to model, and forecast, blocky pattern continues in the Western U.S. A series of Eastern Pacific lows will try to find a way over, through, or underneath the blocking ridge. Models say the vigorous appearing low currently approaching the central California coast will, like its predecessor, be pushed to the north, weaken and be absorbed by the block. Current satellite photos show the low tracking east-northeast, entraining some moisture, and enhancing somewhat along its frontal zone. Eventually, one of these lows could break underneath the block and bring significant rain to the Southwest.

Today's RiverPhoto is L.A. boater Bill Britton with his brand new Nissan Xterra. Bill loves this vehicle for kayaking... sturdy built-in car rack, place for wet boating stuff, moderate price, handles well, waterproof seats, high clearance, good in snow, nice looking. Why are we promoting cars, you ask? Well, we're not really, we just had fun doing the commercial on the Kern River with local kayakers and rafters as stunt boaters! Watch the commercial carefully; that's Landon Lipke jumping off the rock launch at Chamise Gorge. The rafters flipping the boat are Barry Tessman, Tom Moore, Peter Wiechers, Katharine Haines, & Adam Nielson. The vehicle is the sport SUV of the year. Of course the stunt boaters hope the commercial runs for a long, long, time...

We've updated the info for our 2000 Kern River Kayaking Classes and Clinics and the 2000 Event Calendar. The Kern will be hosting a very special event this year, the 2000 Whitewater Slalom & Wildwater Nationals. Members of the U.S Olympic and National Teams will go head to head in preparation for this year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

When you have a chance, check out the new features in our New Boat Barn and Used Boat Barn. Now, when you select a Type of Boat, such as "Touring Kayaks," only the models that are actually in the Barn are listed in the "Select Model" list box. Also, in the New Boat Barn, there is now an "On Sale" checkbox. If you click on this box, only boats that are on sale, will be listed.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

E-STORE - NEWS - RAFTING - KAYAKING - CLIMBING- GALLERY - LINKS - MORE INFO - OUR STORE - THE RIVER - CATALOG - HOME

---

Copyright © 1996-2008 Sierra South, Inc. All Rights Reserved.