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60 day Percent of Average Precipitation 11/1/22 > 1/9/23.
As a landscape photographer, always monitor rainfall sites during winter storms. This will be one of the big springs we only experience every few years though how big will depend on the next couple months. Coastal ranges of the state south to LA are now well above normal while deserts just modest. Many green herbs and grasses rising. If any wonder where these locations are and what they look like, search on my website. With social media in this era, expect Carrizo Plain NM and Antelope Valley SPR to become zoos.
Antelope Valley poppy reserve and Gorman hills will bloom well.
Cottonwood Canyon and Figueroa Mountain will bloom once again.
Carrizo Plain and Temblor Range will begin showing vast yellow expanses by early March.
Merced River canyon below Yosemite ought have a major show of poppies and flowers.
Owens Valley western sagebrush slopes and volcanic badlands could be very interesting by early March.
Expect shooting stars to rise at Pacheco State Park by late February.
North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve will begin a major bloom early this spring.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the heads up; the vegetation (from lupine to yucca) in LA responded amazingly well to the huge water pulse we got in December of 2021 and although the amounts were not quite as big in Dec2022, the rain in January has been impressive, and we're not even 1/3 through the month. It could be impressive! Cameron
Last edited by cgundersen on Sat Jan 14, 2023 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This year is on the road to an impressive wildflower showing, and I am very hopeful. Besides the Sierra, I will keep a keen eye on Carrizo, with my fingers crossed that it will be the best showing ever or at least close to it; then, it will be a week-long road trip south!
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
Santa Maria precipitation totals are already at 13.35", with anything above 8" possibly producing a "REAL" super bloom, not a media-hyped-up super bloom. DV forecasts expect an average year, and Anza Borrego is a little above average year. Carrizo is expecting some more light precip on Friday into Saturday.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
Carrizo Plain (CP) added another 3 inches of rain from the 2/24/2023 storm. Likewise, other well known wildflowers locations Cottonwood Canyon, Figueroa Mountain, Antelope Valley poppy reserve, and Gorman hills all had at least another 3 inches that I check live during storms. And another good sized storm is due this week.
Actually Carrizo Plain itself with its just below 2000 foot low point at Soda Lake, has been blanketed by a rare snowfall. Up above on the Temblor Range (TR) that is as much as another 2000 feet higher, of course much more. Mohave and Sonora Deserts not as much as expected that hit Southern California coastal ranges more.
Wunderground dot com for Taft at 350 feet just east shows forecast daily temperature highs between 50F and 60F for the next 10 days so. If so would be 45F to 55F about CP and over 40F even at highest TR areas. Thus snow will all melt quickly. Most annuals that dominate wildflower species displays at CP are likely still dormant in their roots, but it is at this time of late winter they begin rising, so all this new water will cause a significant boost for robust plant growth.
Orange hued fiddleneck are probably already rising along the Soda Lake Road sides. Expect reports of valley yellow hued goldfields by mid March and fiddleneck and color on south facing TR slopes. By the last week of March, there ought be plenty of worthwhile aesthetic landscapes everywhere though TR will likely peak mid April. Different species peak at different times and in the TR with different sun exposures. Phacelia's, San Joaquin blazing star, desert candles, a week later. The pink Parry's mallow and purple owls clover are last. In any case, just like the Antelope Valley State Poppy Reserve, many days, especially by afternoons, are very breezy making any near photography difficult or impossible.
With the big storm, time for photographers to be ready. I've already done considerable map planning. There are NO food markets or gas stations in the vast valley that surprises new visitors. One must drive a long hour plus ways to McKittrick, Taft, or Buttonwillow. So full gas tank, self brought in food, and water supplies. Much info at:
Note the primary TR hillsides people flocked to in 2017 from Elkhorn Road have been blocked and NO TRESPASSING posted on fences, as some areas along that road are private cattle ranch inholding lands. No thanks to the many inconsiderate urban pigs that visited in 2017 leaving trash. Same thing as at the vast poppy areas about Walker Canyon near Lake Elsinore that have now been all blocked. Thus one needs to download this BLM CPNM park map to understand where that is. Plenty of accessible areas into the Temblor Range to south on Elkhorn Road north of the Panorama Road junction.
Additionally that map shows the limited legal dispersed camping zones. Expect the main Selby and KSL Campgrounds to be filled with squatting all day camp bodies that drive out once a day briefly. Otherwise visitors will end up driving way south on the dusty, bumpy washboarded, Soda Lake Road to those unmaintained dispersed camping zones in the dirt roads that tend to be bewildering. That is where we car camped in 2019. Please don't illegally park overnight in other areas as that just makes the BLM remove any dispersed camping as has happened elsewhere. Any larger end of March storms will make many of its roads impassable mud holes. While if March becomes dry, the roads will become massive dust clouds where large SUVs with their large tires speed over washboarding.
Carrizo Plain NM is already ready with expanses of early species color and likely few visitors. Until social media slowly takes notice, it won't draw many visitors as there are already other closer SoCal areas further along bloom cycles. Expect these images have saturation jacked. The pink areas would be filaree and orange areas fiddleneck, not poppies.
As my first photography work this year, useful as a gear shake out before I start longer road trips south, tomorrow Monday 3/27/23 expect to sunrise drive the 60 miles south on US101/SR152 to little known Pacheco Pass SP that often has the best wildflower areas in the SF Bay Area region, especially padres shooting stars. WU weather forecast at nearby lower Santa Nella shows morning sunny with uncommon low breezes.
There are now 2 WU sites within Carrizo Plain. Has received heavy winter rains and expect another 0.85 inch next Tuesday. For photographers just like at Antelope Valley, it is critical to visit when breezes are minimal. Over the next 10 days, that shows next Thu/Fri/Sat with least breezy early mornings. I may drive down to visit Shell Creek and Carrizo during that period if I can pry myself away from the most excellent current snow for Tahoe skiing.
Carrizo Plain NM needs a couple more weeks. Best wildflowers in Northern California are probably where I have been visiting at Pacheco Pass along SR152 in the San Luis Wildlife Area but not Pacheco State Park that needs another couple weeks. Park at the free lot beside Dinosaur Point Road.
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Sentinel Hub comparisons of CP color between 4/1/2023 4/7/2019 4/7/2017. I'm tentatively set to drive down maybe next Sunday after any weekenders have left. Note per Caltrans, SR58 is blocked across Temblor Range so just accessible on paved roads from west on Sr58 or south from SR166. Note SH jacked the red gain on 2019 that shows as a general redness on all landscapes.
