OI Pinnacles West, Sunday night the 12th

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Short notice, but I'm definitely going if you're thinking Pinnaclish thoughts.

Will be at the visitors center lot, just inside the west entrance.

Natscher and I had a good ole time on Wednesday night.

[Emma Litzer]

I am down to go as well! 

The cloud forecast isn't looking positive, is the visitor center lot above the clouds?

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

The forecast for Soledad has no bearing on the Pinnacles. Where we observe is at 2,000 ft. Now that said, Emma, there's no forecast that'll give you certain information about what it'll be like there. One way to find out!

Wednesday evening was interesting if not surprising. It was clear in town but blowing like mad, steady wind over 35 mph. Up into the park it was calm. Peter and I are both used to those changes, didn't make it less surprising.

[Mark Wagner]

That's interesting information Jamie, and I don't doubt it.  Just wondering if PW visitors center maintains a weather station.  Winds and RH might be enough.

[Jamie Dillon]

They don't. At least nothing that shows up on Weather Underground.

[Mark Wagner]

Here ... maybe there's a way ...

[Francesco Meschia]

The elevation is strange, though. It’s 600+ feet lower than the visitor center.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 12, 2026, at 14:55, Mark Wagner <itsmar...@gmail.com> wrote:



Here ... maybe there's a way ...

On July 12, 2026 2:52:00 PM PDT, Jamie Dillon <ngc1...@gmail.com> wrote:

They don't. At least nothing that shows up on Weather Underground.

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<Screenshot_20260712-145431.png>

[Peter Natscher]

The National Weather Service NWS locates the weather station it uses in the east side of the park at 1322 ft elev. I used the NWS station coordinates (Lat/Lon) on Google maps for a graphical site location.

[Emma Litzer]

Alright, great! I am planning on packing up to check it out tonight, if its cloudy then oh well. 

Is this the correct location?

West Pinnacles Visitor Center 

[John Pierce]

the satellite view doesn't look promisiing

https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17&sector=wus&band=GEOCOLOR&length=12

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[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Yeah, Emma, you're headed to the right place.

See you there!

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Here's a Condition and Socializing Report. Been a long while since I got completely skunked. A few of the brightest stars poked thru the clouds every now and then, but nothing you could call a sucker hole. Regretfully, Pierce got to be right.

Still, there was fun going on. Emma the TACo showed up with her muscle Alec. Both good eggs. We hung around for a couple hours, had a wide-ranging interesting conversation. They got to tell about being on the top of Mauna Kea and watching the dome of Gemini North open at sunset.

[Mark]

I thought Pierce's satellite image was pretty convincing.