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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton Furniture, Inc. Family Business Since 1988
Lowest Prices Guaranteed
ade Custom-m nals ectio Sofas & S
Authorized Ashley Dealer
Mon. – Sat. 10 – 7, Sun. 12 - 6
Suat Atkin 925-686-2299 3400/3410 Clayton Rd., Concord
claytonfurnitureinc.com
Joe Ronco/Owner 925-872-3049 jaroncoconstruction.com
Lic#844344
December 12, 2014
Microclimates can have chilling effect The Bay Area is known for its microclimates. Due to the unique geography of the California coast weather variables like cloud cover, temperature, wind and rain patterns can vary significantly from town to town. Microclimates are not unique to our area. Recently the western New York area near Buffalo was pummeled by a record-breaking “lake effect” snowstorm that formed over Lake Erie. Lake effect storm clouds dumped more than six feet of snow on the southern suburbs of Buffalo. Surprisingly, the northern suburbs recorded less that one foot of snow. That is a type of microclimate we’ll never experience here. Lake effect snowstorms form over Lake Erie if a combination of atmospheric conditions develop. First, a nearly stationary north to south directed jet stream must persist for several days over west-central Canada. This jet current will steer a frigid Arctic air mass southward across Canada and into the central United States. Second, the jet stream needs to turn toward the northeast and carry the cold air slowly into the Great Lakes region. West-southwesterly winds are ideal for triggering lake effect conditions over Lake Erie since they provide the greatest over-water trajectory. Finally, the lake water temperature needs to be several degrees above freezing. As frigid air moves across warmer waters, the lower atmosphere becomes very unstable. Updrafts form in unstable air masses. During extreme Arctic cold air outbreaks vertical tem-
WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS perature differences can produce very strong updrafts. Once all these ingredients are in place the atmospheric snow machine is complete. When these conditions develop over Lake Erie it’s like having a giant snow blower pointed directly at the southern suburbs of Buffalo.
During a five-day period just before Thanksgiving that is exactly what happened. Nearly ideal lake effect storm conditions developed over Lake Erie. Heavy snowfall resulted as a snow-laden air mass was blown into the Buffalo area. Blizzard conditions lasted for hours at a time during the stormy period. November’s Arctic air mass became so unstable that rare “thundersnow” cells formed. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as snow plied up on the ground. Besides the usual storm related road closures and power outages, this lake effect event was also deadly as several deaths were reported. As mentioned earlier, this event resulted in large variations of snowfall amounts
over very short distances. Local area geography was responsible for the varying snow depths. Suburbs to the south of the city were directly in the path of the 250-mile overwater fetch of the lake. Northern suburbs were just far enough removed from the main fetch to record substantially less snowfall. Unique meteorological and geographical conditions combined to produce the recent lake effect snow storm that struck Buffalo, and illustrate the snow microclimates of the that area. It makes the Bay Area microclimates seem very benign. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist retired from PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
Where to go for LOCAL news For fast, on-the-spot coverage of the latest police action, traffic jams, emergency information and chat, social media and local blogs, like CLAYCORD.com are often good sources of breaking news. For more complete, in-depth coverage of local news, readers turn to their independently owned community newspapers. With news that people care about – local politics, schools, sports, events and stories about their friends and neighbors, the community newspaper is social media the old fashioned way. To find out what is happening in neighboring cities, check out these Contra Costa Community News Group newspapers Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clayton Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . .claytonpioneer.com Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Concord Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . .concordpioneer.com Pleasant Hill, Martinez . . . . . . . . . . . .Community Focus . . . . . . . . . .ourcommunityfocus.com Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga . . . . . .Lamorinda Weekly . . . . . . . . .lamorindaweekly.com San Ramon, Danville, and Alamo . . . .Valley Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . .valleysentinel.com
The Contra Costa Community Newspaper Group is a consortium of independent, locally newspapers with a combined circulation of more than 150,000. To advertise in all five papers with just one phone call, go to www.cccommunitynewsgroup.com or call 844.457.7665
Give yourself the gift of a spending plan for Christmas FREE estimates Specializing in Bathrooms and Kitchens Remodeling Windows/Doors Crown Molding Overhangs Decks Siding Trim
Declan Woods 925.216.2679 Clayton Resident
Tipperary Construction Inc. General Contractor,
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TipperaryConstruction.com
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UTOPIC GARDENS
‘Tis the season for gifts and giving — the holidays are now in full swing. Retailers and advertisers are all making the pitch for your hard earned dollars. The power of persuasion is at play tempting one to recategorize his/her wants with needs. Banks and credit card companies are continuing to entice borrowers with low-interest teaser rates as well as zero interest promotional periods. As cash is often times in short supply this time of year, you might be considering utilizing a promotional credit line. Before agreeing to a promotional offer, be sure you know what you’re signing up for. Get an understanding of finance charges. For example, after most promotional periods end, if there is a balance due, typically interest is charged on the balance from
the date of purchase; not the date the promotion ends. This interest rate associated with the finance charge is often double digits and can cause the debt to grow quite rapidly if no plan is in place. A good rule-of-thumb to follow would be, if you don’t have the cash on hand, be sure there is a spending plan. Generally, the plan should be realistic, with attainable goals minimizing the amount of debt taken, if any. In my next column, I’ll discuss in greater detail how to establish a spending plan as well as tips for tackling debt. LONG-TIME TAX STRATEGY EXPIRED In the spirit of gifting, keep in mind there was a tax-advantaged strategy that is still expired. For those subject to Required Minimum Distribu-
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tions (RMDs) there was a strategy known as the IRA RMD charitable rollover, which expired at the end of 2013. Under this legislative provision, individuals who are at least 70½ would have been able to directly transfer up to $100,000 of their annual IRA RMD to a qualified charity. This strategy was a twofold bonus: it allowed IRA owners to meet the RMD rules, which hold a steep tax penalty if ignored, as well as not be subject to any tax liability on the withdrawn amount because the funds would go straight to the charity. It’s quite possible this legislation could be reinstated retroactively for 2014, but Congress needs to act soon. The IRA RMD charitable rollover has been in effect since 2006, originally as a temporary measure, set to expire
JOHN WENZEL
FINANCIAL SENSE in 2007. It was subsequently extended each year due to its popularity among IRA owners who don’t need the annual withdrawal amounts to live on, and the charities that have benefited from the transfers. Please be sure to confirm the best gifting strategy for you by speaking with a tax professional or meet with a certified financial planning professional to learn more or create the right spending plan. John Wenzel is an investment advisor with Archvest Wealth Advisers. Send questions and comments to john@archvestwa.com
Why advertise in the Pioneer? Here’s one reason: Local painting contractor, Bryan Schaefer, got four calls the first two weeks his ad was in the Pioneer. “The two things I hear most from [new customers] are ‘I wanted to use someone local,’ and ‘Nice ad in the - Bryan Schaefer, Schaefer’s Painting Pioneer.’”