Masses of Tufted Poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa, Papaveraceae) on a bare hillside in Paradise
Here are masses of Tufted Poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa) in the Papaveraceae plant family growing on a bare hillside above Sage Hill Campground in Paradise. This is the real "California Poppy" in our neck of the woods, more yellow than the real California Poppy (E. californica), see my photos here and here. These bare-looking hills were burned by the White Fire in May 2013, but that's where the wildflowers are. (Paradise, Santa Ynez River, 18 March 2016)
It was cooler and breezier today, and I think I know why. There was marine layer fog creeping up the mountains and advancing up the Santa Ynez Valley as far as Lake Cachuma this morning, so we had "fog winds". That's my name for the turbulent winds that happen on top of the temperature inversion that the marine layer brings. We expect it to get colder as we go higher, but this is reversed in an inversion with coastal fog. This might be the first time its happened this year, but it will become increasingly common (and annoying) as we move into Spring.
*Sigh* I just noticed that the marine layer fog is creeping over the mountains tonight.
Masses of Tufted Poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa, Papaveraceae) on a bare hillside in Paradise
Here are masses of Tufted Poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa) in the Papaveraceae plant family growing on a bare hillside above Sage Hill Campground in Paradise. This is the real "California Poppy" in our neck of the woods, more yellow than the real California Poppy (E. californica), see my photos here and here. These bare-looking hills were burned by the White Fire in May 2013, but that's where the wildflowers are. (Paradise, Santa Ynez River, 18 March 2016)
It was cooler and breezier today, and I think I know why. There was marine layer fog creeping up the mountains and advancing up the Santa Ynez Valley as far as Lake Cachuma this morning, so we had "fog winds". That's my name for the turbulent winds that happen on top of the temperature inversion that the marine layer brings. We expect it to get colder as we go higher, but this is reversed in an inversion with coastal fog. This might be the first time its happened this year, but it will become increasingly common (and annoying) as we move into Spring.
*Sigh* I just noticed that the marine layer fog is creeping over the mountains tonight.