January 22, 2009

Exchanging shorts for raincoats

Derek Jackson, Gabriel Lucero and Kian Elyasi are playing tackle football on a balmy Martin Luther King Day. The three boys are sometimes interrupted by Derek’s 2-year-old brother Kyle who wants to get in the action without getting tackled by the big boys. The three Almaden residents all are in second grade at Graystone Elementary. Kyle stays home to play. Photos by Carol Rosen

False spring turns cold, wet

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Martin Luther King Day typically is bleak, cold and more often than not wet. Not this year.

Throughout San Jose, and in many Almaden parks, children were dressed in T-shirts and shorts, scampering and playing in the dry grass. There were golfers and tennis players in clothes normally reserved for late spring and summer, and many were out enjoying their day off at Almaden Lake Park.

Even those under the age of 5 were out in spring and summer outfits enjoying the sun and the balmy weather. Their moms knew that since school was out and the weather was great, it was a good day to get outside and enjoy it, since it might not last too much longer.

Derek Hanel checks out the climbing wall at Jakes Play Lot. The 6-year-old Almaden resident is a first grader at St. Christopher School in Willow Glen.

This year Martin Luther King Day was nearly another record-breaking temperature day, one of 11 record days in a weather pattern that most people pray for in January. The days may have started off cool, but by mid afternoon hit the 70s setting new highs and just being totally pleasant.

But that is changing and, unfortunately turning much cooler and fortunately wetter—because we need the rain. January typically is one of the wettest of the northern California year, but up to Jan. 21, San Jose had achieved less than 0.05 inches and this is the second dry year in a row.

Forecasts now indicate possible rain for the weekend. Most of us are spoiled. Few of us missed out on the warm days full of sunshine, and while we really need the rain, it would be nice to enjoy a few more.

Temperatures hit a high of more than 70 degrees on Monday and were near that Tuesday, but the weather people indicated that they would only last through Tuesday. On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach only into the high 50s for the remainder of the week and possible showers are forecast through early next week.

So, it was fun while it lasted, but hopefully there will be ample rain to get us through the year. And, hopefully, it will only rain between midnight and 5 a.m.—especially on weekends!