Gilroy’s first taste of spring was noticeably watered down.
Calendars changed seasons this past weekend, but weather remained
dreary as the area was drenched with roughly two inches of rain
during the first of several storms set to sweep through the
region.
Gilroy’s first taste of spring was noticeably watered down.
Calendars changed seasons this past weekend, but weather remained dreary as the area was drenched with roughly two inches of rain during the first of several storms set to sweep through the region.
“Showers, showers and more showers,” predicted Steve Anderson, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Monterey.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook Monday morning for Santa Clara Valley as a new storm system was expected to move into the area by Tuesday evening.
But the week’s most voluminous rain likely will come Thursday, along with the possibility of flooding for some local streams and creeks, Anderson said. He said more than an inch of rain was expected on Thursday alone.
A funnel cloud was reported at 3 p.m. Monday south of Gilroy near Highway 25, according to the National Weather Service. The funnel cloud retreated and there were no reports of damage associated with it.
Silva’s Crossing, which bisects Miller Avenue between Santa Teresa Boulevard and Uvas Park Drive, remained closed as of Monday due to possible flooding.
As of 2:05 p.m. Monday, the Uvas Reservoir, located 11 miles northwest of Gilroy, was filled to 102.4 percent capacity, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Jeff Micko, water supply operations manager for the water district, said the reservoir’s control valve was opened March 15 because of forecasts calling for more rain. The valve had been closed for four days before that, he said.
“The storms just generate so much flow,” Micko said. “It just fills the reservoir back up again.”
The Gilroy Fire Department Chestnut Station reported 2.13 inches of rain during the city’s most recent bout with late-winter weather. Anderson said the National Weather Service recorded 1.73 inches from Friday through Saturday. Joe Benson, site manager for Syngenta seed company, said he recorded 2.6 inches during the weekend.
Gilroy’s rain total from July 1, 2010 through Monday stood at 17.3 inches, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Bob Benjamin.
Benjamin said he relied on rain totals report by the Chestnut fire station. He said Gilroy’s to-date rain total was 115 percent above its average – 15.02 inches – for this point in the rain season.
Gilroy’s annual average rainfall total is 17.63 inches, which the city could reach by Wednesday morning, Benjamin said.
Anderson said residents should keep their umbrellas handy until late April at earliest. Before then, Gilroyans can expect to see a mixture of rainfall and sunshine before the calendar edges closer to summer.
“This is our spring,” Anderson said. “I like to describe spring as a 50-50 mix between winter and summer. On any given day during the spring you can reach into a hat and pull out a different weather condition.”
The water district stops releasing water from the Uvas Reservoir usually in April to ensure it will be filled by the end of the year to replenish wells, ground water and other local sources, Micko said. Releasing water becomes unnecessary then “because probably less water is being replaced by future storms,” he said.
Nothing is certain, however, as forecasts can underestimate rain totals, Micko said. He also countered that storms can sometimes end up much dryer than anticipated.
“If only Mother Nature gave us a schedule,” Micko said. “That would make it easier.”
Mother Nature hasn’t gone easy on at least one local grower.
Pete Aiello, co-owner of Uesugi Farms south of Gilroy, said ample rainfall has ruined his most recent crop of strawberries. Excess moisture has turned his maturing fruit into “garbage at this point,” Aiello said.
“It’s definitely put kind of a kink in things around here,” he said.
Aiello said he’d have to spend thousands of dollars in labor costs just to remove the damaged fruit and start over from scratch. He called the recent amount of recent rain “a bit of a surprise,” and said harvest would come later than anticipated.
Last year, the farm’s first day of strawberry harvest was March 23, Aiello said. On Monday, he said the land was still two weeks away from being able to allow a harvest.
“Everything will be a little late this year,” Aiello said.
