A Green December Ushers in New Decade
On December 31st we had our 'blue moon', the second appearance of a full moon in the month. That won't happen again in December until sometime in the 2030's, according to my staff researcher.Meantime, the plants, weeds and jungle arround San Pancho/San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico are showing their glorious green array, thanks to a rainy December.
Natives can't remember a December with more rain. And our 2+ years of San Pancho Weather Station records certainly demonstrate the significant change from last year.
During December 2008 we had .07 inches of rain, merely a trace amount. For 2009, we had 3.04 inches!
Even more telling is to look at the combined rain for Nov/Dec, when the "rainy season" is over and we should be free to move about without any fear of precipitation. But look at this: 2008 Nov/Dec rain total was .29 inches, about a quarter of an inch. For 2009, the Nov/Dec total is 3.4 inches, three and a half inches! Now that'll help fill your pool.
If you were out of town last month, the rain fell on Dec 1-2, 5-9 (the major rainfalls), 24-25, and on the 29th.
Overall, it was a good year for rain in San Pancho: 39.24 inches (40.99 in '08 and 27 inches in '07). Here's when it rained in San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico in 2009:
Other 2009 weather highlights for the Weather Station in San Pancho:
Highest temperature: 93 on August 26
Lowest temperature: 55 on March 20
Highest heat index (feels-like temperature): 109 on August 24
Highest wind speed: 42 MPH on July 18.
You can always access more facts, charts and trends from the Weather Station at the Weather Underground.
You'll find some additional weather observations for the New Year at the San Pancho Weather Station site. There's "Hours of Sunshine Today" and the "Current Solar Radiation" for those of you collecting the sun's rays for hot water or electricity.
Also new is the "UV Index," an indicator of how intense the Ultra Violet rays are. The range is 0 to 10+. In San Francisco, Nayarit, this reading usually stays in the 7+ range daytime: High. Any reading above 9 is considered extremely harmful to your skin. To learn more about UV, go to the "Definitions" page of my site.
Here's something I consider good news for 2010: the federal legislature is on the brink of putting the Bahia de Banderas into the Central Time Zone! Yes, the same time zone as Puerto Vallarta! I'm not certain how far north the time zone will reach, but it will include San Francisco. I like the idea because it means later sunsets. I prefer my daylight late ... not early.
For those who have guests during the season it will mean a lot less confusion about arrival and departure times at the airport. I understand the legislation will be effective sometime early this year, or when we change to Daylight Time in the spring. For me, no more trying to remember if our doctor in Bucerias uses Mountain or "PV" time.
Other hopes and dreams for 2010: Completing construction of Avenida Tercer Mundo early in the year.
As always, your comments on the San Pancho Weather Station are welcomed. We'll be revising the 'look and feel' of the San Pancho Weather site over the next few weeks, so do come back often. If you're here for the season, welcome! If you are among those of us who are here fulltime, I look forward to seeing you around town throughout the year.
Happy New Decade ... Happy 2010!
