mono wind event

on monday night (the 18th of january) zane got me up around midnight to go out for a pee.  there was a breeze and an eerie howling/roaring/rushing sound in the distance---something tremendous was coming.  we went back to bed and i woke up around 2am to the most incredible wind i have ever experienced.  the house was being buffeted.  i could hear objects being picked up and thrown around.  there was just enough light to see the tree tops twisting around violently.  by 3am the power went out.  the wind continued until about 9am tuesday morning.  

it's called a mono wind event...

(from an informational pamphlet issued by the national parks and national weather service)

"...Mono Winds are strong winds that blow downhill across the western slopes of the central Sierra
Nevada from the northeast. In an ideal atmospheric pattern, air moving from the northeast and flows up
and over the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada. As this air rushes several thousand feet downhill, it
increases in speed and also dries out. The rugged topography of the Sierra Nevada also causes the air
to be funneled through tight spaces which further increases its speed. This results in winds that can
reach speeds of 50 mph or more. Mono Winds form when an area of high pressure sets up over the Great Basin. Air flows in a clockwise direction around high pressure. In some situations, the air is “squeezed” better than others because of the differences in pressure in the atmosphere. The more air is squeezed, the faster it blows. In a typical Mono Wind event, winds reach speeds of at least 50 mph while stronger events can see winds exceed 100 mph!..."

 

we lost several large trees and part of the asphalt roofing on the back of our house.  the garden fence was damaged as well as a few fruit trees.  the power was out for a little over 72 hours...

 

staal, patching the roof in preparation for the soon to come rain and snow

fence on north side of the orchard garden...several fruit trees buried in a tangle of huge oak limbs

broken 4x4 corner post on the southeast side of the orchard garden

this massive oak in front of the house could have taken out our power pole and hit the house but it somehow fell alongside the driveway without even causing any blockage

benji, enjoying a climb on the fallen oak pictured previously

one of several broken and fallen trees around the property

 

we were very fortunate and i'm grateful.  we've repaired the garden fence and the roof and done some chainsawing and cleanup (thank you for the help, mama).  we used our generator to pump water and make light when we needed it.  we were able to go about our daily business without hardship.  some people had large trees fall on their homes and cars.  some people don't have a generator.  some people still do not have electricity.  the county has declared a state of emergency.  

my gratitude to all the people who worked and are still working long, hard hours to clear roads and restore power.