Fort Ord National Monument Precipitation Water Year 2023
National Weather Service Water Year Oct. 1, 2022 - Sep. 30, 2023
For WY 2023-2024 https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/hkibak/86783-fort-ord-national-monument-precipitation-water-year-2024
Precipitation MONTEREY AIRPORT (MTY) Elevation: 217'
Proxy for Ft Ord?
Summary of 1"+ events
1) 1.24 on 11/08/2022
2) 1.39 on 12/11/2022
3) 1.10 on 12/27/2022
4) 1.04 on 12/31/2022
5) 1.28 on 01/09/2023
6) 1.05 on 02/24/2023
7) 1.29 on 03/10/2023 this event finally caused Ostracod Pond to overflow... first time I am aware of since 1998
10/01/2022 0.00 0.00 *None of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) stations are a better proxy for
the average precipitation on Ft Ord than the Monterey Airport in my opinion.
Probably an average of the Ft Ord station (wind profiler north of the Marina
Airport) and the Monterey Airport values would approximate Fort Ord
National Monument better. But the NPS summaries are great!
Be aware that their Rain Year is DIFFERENT!
11/01/2022 0.11 0.11 NPS Oct Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/oct22wx.pdf
11/07/2022 0.36 0.47
11/08/2022 1.24 1.71
11/09/2022 0.30 2.01
12/01/2022 0.28 2.29 NPS Nov Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/nov22wx.pdf
12/02/2022 0.09 2.38
12/03/2022 0.54 2.92
12/04/2022 0.54 3.46
12/06/2022 0.13 3.59
12/09/2022 0.08 3.67
12/10/2022 0.76 4.43
12/11/2022 1.39 5.82
12/12/2022 0.99 6.81
12/27/2022 1.10 7.91
12/28/2022 0.03 7.94
12/29/2022 0.11 8.05
12/30/2022 0.05 8.10
12/31/2022 1.04 9.14
01/01/2023 0.10 9.24 NPS Dec Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/dec22wx.pdf
01/02/2023 0.01 9.25
01/04/2023 0.07 9.32
01/05/2023 0.85 10.17
01/08/2023 0.54 10.71
01/09/2023 1.28 11.99
01/10/2023 0.39 12.38
01/11/2023 0.12 12.50
01/13/2023 0.10 12.60
01/14/2023 0.60 13.20
01/15/2023 0.18 13.38
01/16/2023 0.48 13.86
01/17/2023 0.01 13.87
01/18/2023 0.00 13.87
01/19/2023 0.17 14.04
01/29/2023 0.08 14.12
02/01/2023 0.00 14.12 NPS Jan Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/jan23wx.pdf
02/03/2023 0.09 14.21
02/04/2023 0.01 14.22
02/05/2023 0.17 14.39
02/06/2023 0.02 14.41
02/11/2023 0.36 14.77
02/22/2023 0.02 14.79 Central California Comparison on 3/01/2023
02/23/2023 0.09 14.88 SINCE OCT 01- OCT 01- OCT 01- OCT 01-
02/24/2023 1.05 15.93 MIDNITE MAR 1 MAR 1 MAR 1 SEP 30
STATION TOTAL 2023 PON 2022 PON NORMAL NORMAL
02/27/2023 0.63 16.56 ----------- ------- ----------- ------------ ------- -------
02/28/2023 0.36 16.92 SALINAS 0.00 10.59 116 6.18 68 9.11 12.58
03/01/2023 0.46 17.38 BARSTOW 0.05 1.83 76 1.01 42 2.41 3.77
PASO ROBLES 0.03 15.70 180 7.37 85 8.72 12.15
03/04/2023 0.32 17.70 SANTA MARIA 1.24 18.37 196 6.33 67 9.39 13.32
03/05/2023 0.33 18.03 LANCASTER 0.04 5.79 114 3.18 63 5.08 6.81
03/06/2023 0.00 18.03 *I included this bolded record to illustrate the extreme patchiness of the rainfall
03/07/2023 0.07 18.10 since December. On March 6th our East Campus location in Marina we received significant
03/08/2023 0.34 18.44 rainfall several times while Salinas and the Monterey Airport received nothing.
03/09/2023 0.23 18.67 Since the storms at the end of December we've been getting our rainfall, not in the
03/10/2023 1.29 19.96 typical cold "fronts" of previous years, but either as thunderstorm like "squalls" or by
03/11/2023 0.02 19.98 being at the edge of one of the atmospheric rivers. As of March 6th, we never experienced
a direct hit as they have to the north, east, and south of us. Some areas in California have
03/14/2023 0.33 20.31 >300% of normal, others have <75%. We are at 138% of normal for this time of year.**
03/15/2023 0.26 20.57
03/19/2023 0.43 21.00
03/20/2023 0.02 21.02 NPS Feb Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/feb23wx.pdf
03/21/2023 0.31 21.33
03/22/2023 0.99 22.32
03/28/2023 0.31 22.63
03/29/2023 0.28 22.91
03/30/2023 0.08 22.99
04/02/2023 0.04 23.03 NPS Mar Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/mar23wx.pdf
04/07/2023 0.03 23.06
04/18/2023 0.03 23.09
05/01/2023 0.05 23.14 NPS Apr Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/apr23wx.pdf
05/02/2023 0.25 23.39
05/03/2023 0.21 23.60
05/04/2023 0.02 23.62
05/05/2023 0.03 23.65
05/31/2023. 0.01. 23.66
06/01/2023 0.00 23.66 NPS May Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/may23wx.pdf
06/06/2023. 0.15 23.81
07/01/2023 0.00 23.81 NPS Jun Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/jun23wx.pdf
08/02/2023 0.01 23.82 NPS Jul Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/jul23wx.pdf
09/03/2023 0.01 23.83 NPS Aug Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/aug23wx.pdf
09/09/2023 0.01 23.84
09/30/2023 0.04 23.88 NPS Sep Summary: https://met.nps.edu/~ldm/renard_wx/sep23wx.pdf
Other Useful Measures of Precipitation https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11152500/#parameterCode=00065&period=P70D
**https://weatherspark.com/h/y/1042/2023/Historical-Weather-during-2023-in-Monterey-California-United-States#Figures-Rainfall
Map of some of the pools on Ft Ord https://insidetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/maps/Fort-Ord-Map-2021.pdf
| San Lorenzo River |
Pajaro River at Chittenden (1) 33.73 ft on 02/03/1998 (2) 33.11 ft on 04/03/1958 (3) 32.46 ft on 12/24/1955 (4) 32.20 ft on 03/11/1995 (5) 31.30 ft on 02/12/1938 (6) 29.53 ft on 01/03/1997 (7) 29.50 ft on 01/21/1909 (8) 28.60 ft on 02/22/1917 (9) 28.20 ft on 02/11/1922 (10) 28.03 ft on 03/02/1983 |
Salinas River at Spreckels (1) 30.29 ft on 03/12/1995 (2) 26.51 ft on 02/26/1969 (3) 25.00 ft on 02/12/1938 (4) 24.60 ft on 01/13/2023 (P) (5) 24.54 ft on 02/08/1998 (6) 23.90 ft on 02/08/1937 (7) 23.83 ft on 12/25/1955 (8) 23.44 ft on 03/03/1983 (9) 22.66 ft on 02/11/1978 (10) 22.46 ft on 04/04/1958 |
Carmel River | Big Sur River |
Comments
Good thinking, I believe Marina Airport would be a better proxy, since the rainfall can be surprisingly variable in the area, but I'd have to refresh my memory on how to access that data, if it is available (I think I've accessed in on Wunderground in the past).
It's maybe possible the UC FONR has a rain gauge, or that a local researcher like Dan Fernandez maintains a private one they might be willing to share data from.
I'll look into it when I have a chance, since I've been pretty curious about some reliable rain accumulation data as well.
It should be a banner year for wildflowers as I see it--fingers crossed!
Thanks for asking around! No rush... Just would like to capture it since October 1. And yes, I haven't been able to get anything from the Marina Airport for about 15 years.
I spent a little more time looking for online precipitation data for Fort Ord from reliable sources without luck.
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/webgis/?appid=cdecstation&sta=MTY
Only MTY and SAP (over in Salinas) seem to be functioning. There were three stations on Ft Ord run by the Forest Service or the Army and all three appear defunct. Nothing from the Marina Airport anymore. The old data I used to get access to was via Naval Postgraduate School and it looks like they shut down their station over there.
Met data is definitely still being collected by the NPS from the Wind Profiler just north of the Marina Airport. I have found summaries that include recent data from that station. But I have yet to find a direct link.
https://www.amazon.com/Crosse-704-1531R-INT-Magnifying-Capacity-Burgundy/dp/B082YDVTJM/ref=sr_1_22?c=ts&keywords=Rain+Gauges&qid=1678254811&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-22&ts_id=397437011
Maybe worth investing in a rain gauge?
I travel too much :-)
Unless it was one of those hi tech ones ;-)
Hmm..I've heard of a 'tipping' gauge I think. If you rigged it up to a Raspberry Pi, something something programming...it'd tell you a cumulative volume, though it probably wouldn't be terribly granular unless it's raining a ton.
That's interesting... I have a Raspberry Pi that's not being used now. Looks like a project that might be within my reach. But you gave me an idea... In terms of long term perennial health I think it's the 18" soil moisture content that's key... it's one of the reasons the soil conservation service has those 4" and 18" monitors scattered around the country in dryland agricultural areas. Maybe it would be cool to get something like this going on Ft Ord https://soilscout.com/solution/wireless-soil-moisture-sensor
Wow, that's a really cool idea, I had no idea that type of system existed off the shelf. 20 years with no battery replacement?
Must be a bit expensive I imagine, but if not, the scientific possibilities are pretty great I imagine.
For the Raspberry Pi, I realized just now reading your comment that you probably wouldn't even need to do the programming since I'm sure someone has shared the code for this or a similar application.
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