Historic heatwave

Man, that was some heatwave, wasn’t it? Even the west side of San Francisco got up to the 90s. That’s still not as bad as the rest of California: soon as you leave sight of the ocean, you are in the 100s. I feel most bad and concern for my father who works in construction. It cannot be fun at all yesterday at the work site. God bless the men and women who have to work outside under these scorching conditions. The construction workers, the firefighters, and the guy with a food cart selling hotdogs to the neighborhood.

Yesterday afternoon we got an email from campus saying PG&E is instituting rolling blackouts from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The funny part is the email cautioned us to avoid using the elevators - if possible - during that time. Make sense: last thing any of us want is to be stuck inside an elevator that’s only going to get hotter because no electricity means no circulation, either. Folks in the downtown campus simply left and went home. I guess there’s less oversight over there!

Turns out much of California was under potential blackout conditions during peak hours yesterday, our house included. Thankfully it never came to pass. It seems enough household heeded the warnings and reduced their energy consumption enough to mitigate the need to cut off power. It’s a good reminder for me to be prepared. I really should get one of those fancy multi-hundreds of watt battery generators. The type that people take to go camping or hashtag van life.

Just like air conditioning, you’ll be glad you have it when you need it. Speaking of which, I’m lucky my studio is somewhat subterranean so it stays cool even when outside temperatures are in the 90s. If that weren’t the case, I would be running a portable air conditioning unit for sure. As a friend said: “Comfort [at the home] is paramount.”

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Blue lagoon.

London is burning (hot)

The news today out of Great Britain is the country is suffering through a record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures there breached 100 degrees (Fahrenheit, natch), a phenomenon supremely unusual for the island nation that far up the latitude chart. People from hotter climes must be confused at the news: “What’s so especially devastating about 100 degree weather?” And to think that England conquered the world whilst dressed in multiple layers of wool.

The answer is of course obvious: Britain is simply not built for temperatures that hot. The country is famous for its perennial rain, cold, and cloudy grayness. Houses and infrastructure aren’t designed to keep the populace comfortable under those heat conditions - there was never a need. Same situation exists in San Francisco, also famous for its temperate climes year round. When it does get super hot for that one week in October, we suffer just like the Brits are suffering right now.

When it gets that hot in a region where air-conditioning is not really a thing, the only effective way to combat it is one, stay indoors and keep hydrated. Then two, do absolutely nothing else. Productivity is going to and will have to decline massively during that period.

I have to say I was pretty smug this morning, after hearing about the heatwave in England. I walked to work in a balmy high 50s (again, Fahrenheit) weather. Complete cloud cover, no direct sun in sight. How have the climate change gods managed to avoid wrecking their havoc on San Francisco? Last summer was rather mild, and thus far this one has been too. I see reports of massive heatwaves elsewhere and I can only sheepishly chuckle, “Well, it’s still nice and cool over here!”

Granted, there is the great drought our region is continuously going through. What use is cool weather if there isn’t any water?

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Will you though?

Very hot in Seattle

Even someone like me who loves to travel gets apprehensive and anxious about heading out. That’s just the introvert in me. I’m one of those people who actually thrived being relatively confined to our homes for 15 months during this pandemic. Staying home is what I do most of the time anyways! So the energy to break that inertia can be considerable.

I was still anxious even as the Amtrak train pulled into Union Station in Los Angeles, half wanting to be home instead. Perhaps an introvert who likes to travel is a bit of an oxymoron. Nevertheless, momentum eventually takes over and I simply get immersed into the experience. I’ll get to go home soon enough.

Besides, it’s nice for the body to leave the natural air-conditioned climate of San Francisco and into something hotter. A sort of training, if you will. Southern California summer weather did not disappoint, as it was well into the 80s during the week we were there. Pro tip if you are prone to sweating: have a towel handy to wipe away perspiration every so often.

One never expects to fly into Seattle from San Diego for it to be significant warmer. The Pacific Northwest conjures up feeling of cold and drizzle, rather than hot temperatures into the triple digits. Well, the latter is precisely what we flew into as the PNW region experience an absolutely historic heatwave. Triple-digit temperatures in consecutive days, and records utterly shattered. Stepping off the plane at SEATAC had the feeling of Texas: a blast of dry heat greeting you just past the door into the gangway.

Good thing we arrived towards the end of the heatwave. On the days we were in Seattle and Portland, temperatures were back down to a more manageable 80s. And good thing our hotel and AirBnB were equipped with air-conditioning. We never turned it off during our stays.

The lesson here is: get air-conditioning for you home, even if you live in a place where traditionally you wouldn’t need it. Intense climate change is here.

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Halo.

Summer hate

Living in San Francisco, we get to enjoy what is called nature’s air conditioning: during the Summer month it stays in the 60s almost all the time. Of course, we expect the few days of high temperatures to give us a good sear once in a while, and this past weekend was unfortunately such a time. The sun was blazing and the weather was in the upper 90s for much of Friday and Saturday. Sunday was thankfully a bit cooler, but it brought on another rare anomaly: thunderstorms. Indeed it was rather weird to open up the blinds in the morning to a darkened grey sky and random thunder strikes.

It was as if someone brought tropical weather to San Francisco. I joked with my friend in Hawaii that we needn’t to come visit her any longer: Hawaii came to us.

Suffice it to say, for a city famous for its mild weather, we are never prepared for mid 90s, no matter the fact these few days of high temperature happens every year like clockwork. I get it: it’s not economical to outfit air-con to buildings for only a small percentage of days out of a whole year. It seems we rather suffer through them than spend the money for central climate control. Thankfully, my friend who lives just south of San Francisco (but not in South San Francisco) outfitted his home with the sweet nectar of air conditioning, and it was there I went this past weekend to escape the brunt of the afternoon heat.

I won’t have to do that for future heatwaves, however: I finally purchased a portable air conditioning unit. I’ve been saying for years that I would get one of these things, but for whatever reason I never clicked the checkout button. What changed this time? It’s not like this particular hot weather pattern was worse than the previous ones - temperatures didn’t even reach over 100! I think the COVID situation finally pushed me over: if I’m going to be stuck at home for work, I would greatly prefer a chilled room in order to concentrate fully. Secondary benefit: I’d get a better night’s sleep.

The portable AC won’t arrive in time for the remainder of this hot weather, but for sure there will be plenty more to come. In the immortal words of John Snow: I’m ready.

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Nice.

Michelin Cup 2 tires are phenomenal

The San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing a heatwave, one of the few each year that balances out all of the parties we’ve been having in enjoying our typical mid 50’s weather, no matter the season. This particular heatwave is quite severe, though: not since Labor Day of two years prior - where temperatures in the city reached beyond 100 - has it been this bad. 94 degrees for three days straight really puts a strain on the nerves.

Especially when buildings in San Francisco aren’t equipped with air-conditioning.

Indeed, every time one of these hot weather patterns rolls around, I always declare that this will be the year I finally buy a portable air-con unit for my room, but it still hasn’t happened yet. Admittedly the not insignificant financial outlay for a machine only to be used a few days out the year is not so easily palatable. Add to the fact that usually by the time I’m ready to click buy, normal cool weather have returned, inducing me to procrastinate.

Let’s see if this year will be different, and I may have a secret weapon. Lately I’ve been super diligent on ensuring I get the appropriate quality of sleep, and a huge factor towards that is room temperature. Apparently, humans are evolved to get better sleep when the weather is cool (I certainly do during the winter months), so needless to say the last few days of this heat have not been conducive to me falling into slumber quickly; not when the bedroom is hovering in the 80s at midnight.

So, spend money to assist with something we do for a third of our lives; makes getting an air-con unit reasonable and justifiable, doesn’t it? I might get a chiliPad too while I am at it.

This first heatwave of the year did allow me to take the GT3 out this past weekend, the first chance to assess just what the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires can do when it’s within its optimal operating temperature. The verdict? So. Much. Grip. Astonishingly so. Only now did I realize that driving the Porsche around in San Francisco’s typical middling weather gives almost no information on the Cup 2’s true capabilities.

Is it possible to fall in love with a set of tires?

With the Michelins properly lit up, the GT3’s front-end is simply mighty. The communicative beauty of the 911’s steering shines in letting the driver know via the hands the grip level of the front tires, and in this maiden outing in hot weather, I’ve never felt more confidence-inspiring sensations through the GT3’s rim. I can truly trust the front-end: the tires dig and bite into the tarmac, no matter the amount of steering lock is inputed. The 911’s inherent understeer is still present, but it’s easily correctable when the tires are willing to do the work.

Obviously, the enormous 12-inch wide rear tires welcome the hot weather in equal measure to the fronts. Thanks to the engine being situated behind the rear-axle as is its signature, the 911 offers traction I dare say no other rear-wheel drive car can match. The Cup 2s with proper heat sticks to the ground immensely, but reassuringly so, allowing super fun mid-corner adjustability. Throttle-steer to tuck in the nose a bit or kick the rear-end out for some brief slip-angles: it’s all possible in the GT3, and easily accessible.

The 911 chassis reveals itself splendidly when the tires are on, and I’m ironically eager for more hot weather so I can sample the Cup 2s further it its absolute element. It’s so much fun.

Maybe I will get that air-con unit after all.

From my friend who’s traveling in Europe.