Liquidambar Trees, Or Sweet Gums, the colorfully deciduous trees gracing front yards, parks, and campuses throughout the San Diego area, have been putting on a good show for the past month. The maplelike leaves of some varieties have turned from green to purple to red; the leaves of other varieties have faded to a golden yellow. Other varieties will hold on to their leaves until the New Year. Most will regain their foliage by late February.

December’s Full Super Moon, named the “cold moon,” “oak moon,” “wolf moon,” and “moon of long nights” according to the traditions of certain past cultures, rises spectacularly over the eastern horizon at around 4:22 pm, just before the time of sunset, on the evening of Thursday, December 4. This full moon is also a super moon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual because it’s near its closest point to Earth. The moon’s nightlong (14-hour) journey will take it nearly to the zenith of the sky by midnight, and then down to a setting position over the ocean by dawn on Thursday morning.

Extreme High and Low Tides are set to occur later this week. On Thursday, December 4, the tide reaches a high of 7.71 feet at 7:53 am and then falls to -1.97 feet at 3:09 pm. On Friday, the tide peaks at 7.78 feet at 8:37 am and a low of -2.03 feet at 3:57 pm. Either of these low tide occasions are perfect for exploring marine life in the tidepool areas along San Diego County’s coastline. But if any strong winter storm happens to arrive from the west during these peak tides, some flooding of low-lying coastal areas around San Diego is likely. On the brighter side, birdwatchers have an opportunity to spot species of rare shorebirds that get pushed to the edges of local bays and coastal marshes by the high water.
Liquidambar Trees, Or Sweet Gums, the colorfully deciduous trees gracing front yards, parks, and campuses throughout the San Diego area, have been putting on a good show for the past month. The maplelike leaves of some varieties have turned from green to purple to red; the leaves of other varieties have faded to a golden yellow. Other varieties will hold on to their leaves until the New Year. Most will regain their foliage by late February.

December’s Full Super Moon, named the “cold moon,” “oak moon,” “wolf moon,” and “moon of long nights” according to the traditions of certain past cultures, rises spectacularly over the eastern horizon at around 4:22 pm, just before the time of sunset, on the evening of Thursday, December 4. This full moon is also a super moon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual because it’s near its closest point to Earth. The moon’s nightlong (14-hour) journey will take it nearly to the zenith of the sky by midnight, and then down to a setting position over the ocean by dawn on Thursday morning.

Extreme High and Low Tides are set to occur later this week. On Thursday, December 4, the tide reaches a high of 7.71 feet at 7:53 am and then falls to -1.97 feet at 3:09 pm. On Friday, the tide peaks at 7.78 feet at 8:37 am and a low of -2.03 feet at 3:57 pm. Either of these low tide occasions are perfect for exploring marine life in the tidepool areas along San Diego County’s coastline. But if any strong winter storm happens to arrive from the west during these peak tides, some flooding of low-lying coastal areas around San Diego is likely. On the brighter side, birdwatchers have an opportunity to spot species of rare shorebirds that get pushed to the edges of local bays and coastal marshes by the high water.