Staff Blog Entries

African Daisies, India Hawthorn, and Sage

The Annual Green-to-Golden Transition of San Diego's wild grasslands typically starts during early April &mdash though this year, early rains ...

The Moon, the Tides, and the Vernal Equinox

The Moon, just past full phase, rises into the darkening eastern sky at around 7:25 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, ...

Borrego in Bloom

The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park flowers best this month, with peak blooms expected early in the month in low-lying, warm ...

Daylight Savings Time Begins This Weekend

Pacific Daylight Time, or "daylight saving time," starts on Sunday morning, March 13, at 2 a.m. No time is "saved" ...

Wind, Mexican Coral Trees, and Ornamental Peach Trees

March Is the Proverbial Windy Month here in San Diego, as it is in many places. From midday to late ...

Ocean Temps, Ice Plant, Ceanothus, and Hummingbirds

Ocean Water Temperatures, of late in the 50s Fahrenheit, are finally on the upswing this month as the daylight hours ...

Manzanita Shrubs Coming into Bloom

Manzanita Shrubs are starting to bloom this month in the foothill areas of the Cleveland National Forest. The various manzanitas, ...

Tree Height Measuring Ideal Today

Tree Heights can be easily measured this week if the sun shines at midday. On or near Friday, February 18, ...

February's Hunger Moon

The Moon, just shy of full phase, rises dramatically into the late-afternoon eastern sky Thursday, February 17, at around 5:20 ...

The Valentine's Day Moon and Strong Tides

The Valentine’s Day Moon this year is in waxing gibbous phase, its three-quarter-full shape dominating the southeastern sky at dusk. ...

Jupiter and the Winter Constellations

The Planet Jupiter remains prominent in the southwestern sky after dark in January through February; however, it will be ever ...

San Diego County's Waterfalls

Already swollen with runoff and snowmelt from recent storms, San Diego County's waterfalls should be at their very best during ...

Acacias and Frost-Bitten Laurel Sumacs

Acacias, estooned with myriads of fluffy yellow blossoms, are brightening streetsides, freeway embankments, and backyard gardens throughout the San Diego ...

January's Extreme Tides, High Rainfall, and a Quiet Moon

Highest Monthly Rainfall totals in San Diego are most likely to occur in January and February (about 1.9 inches each ...

Green Flash Opportunities Ripe in January

The Fabled "Green Flash" at sunset or sunrise can sometimes be seen on crystal-clear days in January. At the instant ...

Latest Sunrise of the Year Occurs Monday

Jupiter Joins Venus in the western sky at dusk on Sunday, January 9. The two lie about 10 degrees apart ...

Rainfall Brings Early Growth

Green and Gold are the colors of the coastal region's natural landscape in early 2011. A greater-than-average amount of rain ...

Chilly Days and Nights and the Return of the Waxing Crescent Moon

Recent Chilly Days and Nights only confirm that San Diego's lowest temperatures (according to more than a century of weather ...

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower, Extreme Tides

Extreme High and Low Tides will occur again in early January. On New Year's day, a peak high tide of ...

Gray Whale Migration

Gray whale migration off San Diego County's coast peaks from now until February. The best view spots from land are ...