Event Coverage So Cal New Years Day Cruise - 2022

I'm a little late getting started on this, but looking to see if anyone is interested in doing our annual New Years Day cruise here in So Cal. The last few years have been awesome, even last year with the covid restrictions we still had a great time, the roads were bitchin, and the weather couldn't have been better.

@32Dan suggested we do the route along Glendale Ridge Rd from Hwy 39 up to Mt Baldy. That's a great drive, but it will have to depend on the weather. But we have alternate routes we can take if we have snow at low elevations in the mountains.

Let me know, if not here than send me a pm.

 

We're scheduled for rain for the next two weeks. I hope you can pull this off and have the fun it's intended for. The route seems like a fun drive.
I'm going to be out of town or I would join in this year.
Be sure to have plenty of hot coffee for you guys.

 

I TRY TO MAKE THE COLORADO BLVD CRUISE EVERY YEAR. TRYING TO GET MY COUPE BACK TOGETHER FOR IT....

 

Aaaarrrrrggggggg........ That's not good

 

Wish I was there. I'd be happy to cruise in the rain on New Year's Day.

Sounds like a great route plan.

 

You know how the weather changes here. Hopefully you'll have a good cruise.

 

A little too far to meet up with you guys this year, Richard! Maybe I'll find a cruise here in the Myrtle Beach area. I do plan to make it back for GNRS, let's meet up!

 

For sure Bob. Let me know your travel plans.

 

Yep, you never really know, and we've had beautiful weather for New Years day far more often than not. It might storm the week before, and it might storm the week after, but some how it seems to clear up for that day. I've got a nice route for local roads we did last year, it was awesome.

 

Possible good days on 26th and 29th. And of course, New Year's Eve-Day looks clear. But, as So Cal goes, the Pasadena Rose Parade has never had a wash out. So, a New Year's Day cruise looks promising. The traffic is worse on New Years Eve day/night. Despite being So Cal, New Year's Day has less traffic due to the early morning and all day Rose Parade/football games.


Hey BLUES4U,

The weather warnings are based on a second system coming through during the week prior to Christmas.

DEC 18, 2021 SATELLITE/RADAR MAP


The green system in the (lower right) Gulf Coast section was supposed to give the Westcoast some heavy rain. It blew in and out, in half a day. The big swirl over Washington and Idaho was supposed to give So Cal more snow and rain, but we got the tail end of a few sprinkles for an hour or so. Now, the big week before Christmas Day and after is way outside of the Alaska Peninsula and looks to be a huge one.

But, the one over Washington and Idaho looked similar a week ago and just curled up North and is fighting the trek over the Rockies to the Midwest, today. We learned in college that weather is always tricky to predict, but the computer models these days are fairly accurate.

On the safe side, they will predict 30-40 % CHANCE of rain, just to let the general public be aware that it could be coming. If we lived in Mammoth Mountain, then that system over Washington/Idaho left Mid to Northern California covered in snow and rain the last few days, but they are in the higher elevations.

Jnaki

So, here is a proposed route based on past weather fronts coming into the local mountains. Yes, So Cal mountains did get some snow from the one that is now in the Gulf Coast section.

Starting at the I-15 and Cajon Pass Junction, up into the lower mountain ranges with the highest being 6000 ft. (but that is on the way home, downhill to Highland in San Bernardino area and the freeways.)

We have taken the road from Running Springs to Silverwood Lake area many times and each time it is/was different.

1. Silverwood Lake Elevation 3356'
2. Lake Gregory Elevation 4550'
3. Crestline Elevation 4613'
4. Lake Arrowhead Elevation 5174'
5. Running Springs Elevation 6109' Cloudy, Cold 41 Degrees predicted for Dec 26, 2021

Back in the high school days, the annual "Gathering of The Tribes" was a standard Long Beach/So Cal thing for teenagers to gather in the mountains. The center was usually Big Bear City/Lake. But the area spread from Lake Gregory across/down/up the highway into Running Springs and the Big Bear area.

Since before I was in high school, I heard of tales of teenagers from our Long Beach high school heading up after Christmas Day. The 26th was like a holiday vacation and if anyone made it past the 26-27th, then it was the homeward drive before New Years Day. (Or for some, on New Years Day's empty streets.)

Our times there were based on newspaper weather, but for all of our hot rods/sedans, it did not matter what the weather was like, it was the destination, not the journey... YRMV (shiny black does not look good with road mud and snow, but it cleans up nicely...)

Good luck and stay safe/healthy !!!

 

Hopefully the Rose Parade luck will hold out...

 

Thank you @jnaki

 

Sorry to miss it, hope you have a fun run. Maybe next year when we will be staying home..

 

Hello BLUES4U,

The weather gods are looking your way. As good as the weather models/predictions are, nature has its own course and this time it is for the better. The big storm fronts moved farther North and East, fast. So, for the Southern Cal areas, it looks like another tail ender coming before Christmas. Then cloudy, clear and cold for the rest of the year to the usual New Year’s Day sunny day. Just in time for the Rose Parade and a cool road trip.

The better weather predicted will give more people time to get their hot rods ready and come out to those runs through So Cal spots. hot rod cleaning after a nice long road trip is standard procedure. So, for you guys wondering if you will get plastered with rain, wind and some snow, it is looking pretty good as far as those days after Christmas.

The lower elevations will be relatively stormfront free, other than cloudy weather. The upper elevations will get some rain/snow just before Christmas and some after. But, for anytime after the 29th, it is only cloudy and the New Year Eve/Day and New Years Day is again, a So Cal clear day.

Time to go on a nice road trip.

Jnaki

Lake Arrowhead weather: (Latest as of 6:00 am Sunday Dec 19, 2021)

UPPER ELEVATIONS:


LOWER ELEVATIONS:


Have fun, stay safe and healthy...

 

Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

 

Not fair, you folks get rain it’s above 50 degrees outside in January !

 

Irvine, CA 56 feet high

Hey B,

Your wish may come true. The storm systems are blasting Central/Northern CA and the higher elevations, locally. (8 ft in Mammoth Mountain areas.) But, here in So Cal flatlands, in Irvine, CA your New Year’s Day is partly cloudy and relatively sunny. At 10 am predicted to be 2% chance of rain. That statistic is pointing to no rain… for the first 4 days of the New Year.

Today, there is not a cloud in the sky along the coast, this morning.



Lake Arrowhead 5174 feet high


As So Cal mountains are covered with some snow and rain predicted for the whole week up to New Year’s Day. The So Cal weather has hit the clear New Year as usual and the Rose Parade is safe, once more… Even in the Lake Arrowhead area at 5100 feet, lots of snow, but clear weather for Jan 1.

Jnaki

Where ever you decide, it looks clear for your hot rod adventure with friends for the New Year. Have fun, stay safe and bundle up, the mountains will have snow all around, just not snowing during the day time temperatures. Even the freeways will have great views of the local mountains and the surrounding valleys in contrast.

Balaclavas, masks and hats of some kind are probably a handy thing to have for the roadster guys and open hot rod weather…YRMV

 

Any updates?

 

Thanks, I've been watching the forecast, looks like we'll have clear skies for the 1st, but I don't know about venturing up into the mountains.

 

Mainly just watching the weather forecast, and trying to encourage some more drivers to bring their cars out and join us. We may need to keep it to lower elevations this year.

 

I just checked and it looks good for New Year's day. Looks like rain on Friday but showing slightly cloudy on Saturday.
I hope the rain doesn't delay but keeps moving on.

 

Hi Richard, have you hammered out the details for a route? Last cruise was fun and lower elevation, no snow to deal with. What is the meeting time as well? Thanks, Dan

 

I got most of the details. We'll meet at 10:00 (so those of us ringing in the New Years can sleep in a little) at Penn Park, like last year. Than we'll wind our way through the hills, up over Turnbull Canyon Rd first, then back over Hacienda Blvd to East Rd, across and over to Fullerton Rd, then make our way out through Carbon Canyon. I'll make up some maps if anyone needs one, or you can just follow me. We still need a place to land out in Chino area for a late lunch and beverages before heading home.

Anyone that want's to join in, just meet us at Penn Park in the morning on Jan 1. Have a full tank of gas and be ready to have a great day driving some of the best roads in So Cal (If you haven't driven Turnbul Cyn Rd, it is an experience worth taking the time to do it). Weather should be clear and sunny, though a bit chilly. Bring a coat if you need it.

 

Hi Richard, I have a place in Chino Hills, a pizza parlor, that we can end up at for lunch. They have good pizza, and they serve beverages.

 

Sounds good, see you there

 

The sky is clear and sunny today, and the forecast is for the same tomorrow but even warmer, into the mid 60's. It's going to be beautiful. Hope you bring the roadster Dan!

 

it rained here in Aussie for our New Year nite
coffee run on Sunday, hope rain stays away, we can get 150 cars there

 

no rain
coffee run went of OK, maybe 100 cars

 

Hey @Lil32 I'm glad you had a good day.

Our cruise went well too. We had 10 cars total, which is the most we've had after doing this for several years now. I didn't get a lot of good photo's, the sun was not cooperating, it was too bright! LOL! Too bright and too much of an angle, it created a lot of glare and ruined a lot of shots I tried to take. But here's what I did get.

I was the first one to get to the meetup location:


Shortly after the others started showing up, we had @primopro in his Chevy pickup, @Racingsnake was in a wagon this year, @32Dan came out in his '60 Bonneville (and man do I love that car!), with a buddy driving his Impala, and 3 other of his friends (and his brother) in cars, plus my buddy Jim in his 34 Ford coupe.

Lining up here to get started:

First stop once we reached the top of Turnbull Canyon Rd was my buddy Keith's place, where they had some hot coffee brewed, with donuts and even some apple pie.



Nice view, eh? That is the San Fernando Valley down below, and across the valley is the local mountain range,
On the other side of those mountains, that where El Mirage dry lake bed is. A view like this only happens a few times each year, the mountains are usually blocked from view by the smog.

I took the opportunity to shoot a few pics of Dan's Bonneville:


What a beaut!

Here's his Implala:


And here's where we ended up for lunch after the drive. That's a blown small block in the MG.



After lunch we all split up and went our separate ways home. I think I ended up with about 70 - 80 miles total, not a whole lot, but the average speed was low due to the tightness of the roads and just trying to keep everyone together, not lose anyone. It was a good day!

 

If anyone's interested, here's the route we took. Click on the satellite images and zoom in to see the terrain and roads we were on (check out Turnbull Canyon!)

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Max...4206!2d33.9888833!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!3e0