Storms originating from the northern Pacific have begun moving through the Santa Barbara Channel, pressing against the south-facing slopes of the Santa Ynez Range and bringing rain, as Noozhawk reported. These weather systems introduce "big-sky cloud formations" that residents in Goleta and the surrounding areas can observe, study, and ponder.
According to Capt. David Bacon, a sea captain who has studied various cloud types, these formations can be both enjoyable and provide crucial information. He notes standard types such as cumulonimbus, nimbostratus, and cirrus, which can be identified by comparing sky observations with online resources. He emphasizes that observing these clouds can help predict upcoming weather events, including rain or subsequent cloud formations.
More importantly, some local cloud formations serve as significant indicators of imminent weather changes. For example, a distinct cloud cap that forms over the mountains behind Goleta and Santa Barbara is known by seafaring individuals as the “fingers of death.” Capt. Bacon explains that this particular formation develops when strong northwest winds are present in the western part of the Santa Barbara Channel, acting as a critical warning for mariners to steer clear of certain ocean areas.
He recalled an instance far out at sea where stratus clouds swirled, bulged, and twisted to form a five-mile-long horizontal twister directly beneath the stratus deck. Recognizing the danger, Capt. Bacon immediately urged everyone aboard to hold on, then turned his boat and engaged maximum throttle to escape before the twister could detach, drop one end, and transform into a dangerous waterspout.
Other threatening formations include dark, water-filled wedge shapes and towering thunderheads with distinctive anvil-shaped tops, which can pack a serious wallop. Capt. Bacon noted that mariners quickly move away from these, especially when lightning begins, as those on boats are often the tallest objects in the water, a feeling not eased by the presence of electric energy in the air.
Capt. Bacon describes cloud watching as both "fun and informative," expressing satisfaction that cloud season has arrived and hoping for plentiful wet clouds throughout. He also invited readers to share ideas for an El Niño Halloween costume.
Capt. David Bacon is a boating safety consultant and expert witness, drawing on a background in high-tech industries and experience as a charter boat owner and operator. He teaches classes at Santa Barbara City College and writes outdoors columns for various publications, including Noozhawk, reflecting his lifelong interest in wildlife. His expressed opinions are his own.