The Baja Blog

The Baja Blog concerns all aspects of Living and traveling in Baja California Mexico created by the folks at www.BajaInsider.com.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Baja California to endure northwinds for New Years Day

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

10AM MT 12/31/07 Partly cloudy skies for Baja California today as a front  (yellow arrow) pushes some cloudiness (orange arrow) through SoCal. Temperatures will be brisk, in the mid 50's. Baja California Sur will have clear skies and temps in the upper 70's. Are winds will be moderate today, from the north, increasing  New Years Day to 20kts from the NNE as a strong High (red arrow)  subsiding Wednesday and Thursday to under 10kts. A very strong winter storm (magenta arrow) will move ashore in the PacNW in the next 36hrs, providing Baja a rest from the north winds.

We wish you the traditional Mexican New Years Greeting...

May you have health, prosperity and the time to enjoy both in the New Year! Thanks for reading the BajaInsider.
 

 
 

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Crisp Winter Weather for Baja California Winds return to the Sea of Cortez on Sunday

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

08AM MT 12/29/07 Partly cloudy skies for Baja California today as a front pushes some cloudiness (orange arrow) through SoCal. Temperatures will be brisk, in the mid 50's. Baja California Sur will have clear skies and cool temps in the 70's. Are winds will be moderate today, from the north, increasing Sunday to 20kts from the NNE and subsiding Monday to 15kts. Seas, however, are expected to peak at near 6' on Monday. Winds Tuesday are still forecast to be above 15kts.
 
 
 

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Zip Codes (codigo postales) of Baja

Question:
Please advise how I may Obtain A List of Zip Codes for the Entire Baja ~ As we will be travelling the Entire from North to South. Thanks

Answer: Here is a site from the Mexican postal service where you can find all the zip codes ( Codigo Postales)(http://www.sepomex.gob.mx/Sepomex/Servicios/Busca+tu+Codigo+Postal )for Baja California and Baja California Sur which are the two states of Baja, see maps http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-maps.htm It is in Spanish but it shouldn’t be too hard to put in the major cities and find the zip codes (codigo postales).

Baja California to have Beatuiful Christmas Weather

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

09AM MT 12/25/07 Happy Christmas from Cabo San Lucas. Today will be a nice winter day throughout Baja, as we get a rest between north winds. The Pineapple Express (orange arrow) has move well to the SE and all Baja should have clear, sunny skies. A weak High (blue arrow) is responsible for our nice weather. A cold front is moving through SoCal and stirring up a gale (magenta arrow) in the Bight. A cluster of Lows (green arrow) has replaced the Highs (green arrow) in the 4 Corners region and will bring light winds to the Sea today. The forecasts have backed down from the 25-30kt winds expected tomorrow. Current forecasts call for winds under 20kts from the north in the Sea tomorrow which will be cause by a High (red arrow) moving through the Pacific NW to the 4 Corners area. yet another very strong High (yellow arrow) is poised to move in a few days after this next High bringing winds again toward the weekend.

May peace, happiness & enlightenment fill your Holiday Season - Jaime, Tom & Staff of the Insider
 

 
 

Friday, December 21, 2007

Winter Solstice in Baja California to bring blast of wintery Baja Weather

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

09AM MT 12/21/07 Tonight at 11:08PM MT the Winter Solstice will occur. The winter solstice occurs the instant when the Sun's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane as the observer. Today is the Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere. With that, Baja is bracing for a blast of wintery weather, at least for Baja. North winds are expected to begin to blow tonight peaking Saturday afternoon between 25 -30kts with seas building to 8' in The Sea. This is a result of the pressure difference between a Low (green arrow) and an offshore High (orange arrow) that will be pushed ashore by a powerful Low (red arrow) that is as deep as a Category 2 hurricane and is producing winds in excess of 55kts along the Canadian Pacific Coast to Alaska. Another High is expected to move across the 4 Corners area late Saturday, possible to 1038Mb by the time it turns ESE. Winds are forecast to remain above 20kts through the 72hr forecast period. Temperatures north and south will drop 10-15 degrees over the weekend.

 
 

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Nice Winter Day in Baja California with North Winds expected to Blow over the Weekend

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

10AM MT 12/20/07 Baja will enjoy a lovely winter day north to south today, before north winds return and bring a burst of cold air from the US. Some high clouds (orange arrow) from the Pineapple Express will drift over Baja Sur today where temps will be in the upper 70's. A High over the mainland (blue arrow) will track this moisture across Baja and up into Texas as a cold front (magenta arrow) sweeps into SoCal and Baja California where temps will be in the upper 50's. To the west a strong High (yellow arrow) will be pushed ashore by a developing storm and bring strong north winds to the Sea on Saturday and Sunday, to as much as 30kts and seas are expected to build to 8'. The crossing will be ugly until late Monday and another blow is expected to build late Tuesday.

 
 

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Baja California to have clouds and cooler witer temps

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

11AM MT 12/16/07 High clouds will cover much of the Baja peninsula today as upper level moisture from the Pineapple Express (orange arrow) drifts over us. Our weather activity comes from north of the border with a strong 1039 High (red arrow) over the 4 Corners area of the US bringing north winds to the Sea. Winds are expected to diminish over yesterday's blow but still forecast to be over 15kts and seas a choppy 5' throughout the Sea. Conditions are expected to remain constant with winds from the NNW around 15kts through Wednesday. A second (yellow arrow) will slide into the 4 Corners tomorrow but will be displaced by a rapidly moving Low off our map to the west wish will push a cold front into Baja California by mid to late week and brig colder weather to Baja Sur around Christmas eve.

 
 

Friday, December 07, 2007

Cold Front to bring Winter Weather to Baja California Today, Baja Sur this Weekend.

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

11AM MST 12/07/07 A December blast of winter is about to move SE over the Baja peninsula. The cold front (red arrow) is pushing south from CA into Baja California today where rain is likely and temps will struggle to make 60F. Baja Sur will have partly sunny skies and another day and a half of nice weather before the front passes off toward the mainland on Monday. There is a chance of rain in Baja Sur as the cold air meets the moisture of the more tropical air late Saturday or early Sunday. Winds in the Sea are expected to be under 10kts from the SE, from a High (blue arrow) over the mainland, turning to NW and strengthening as the front passes, to 15kts from the NNW. A Trof (orange arrow) extends the length of the Sea to a Low over Bahia de Los Angeles. up north a Low (yellow arrow) has become stationary over Las Vegas and is anchored to another Low (magenta arrow) over the 4 Corners. This pattern will spare the Sea any north winds for the next 24-36hrs.

 
 

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Passports NOT to be required as expected for Land/Sea Border Crossings to Baja California and Mexico


12/04/07 To enter Mexico from the United States you must have a valid form of photo ID, such as a driver's license and a proof of nationality, such as an apostolated birth certificate. A valid US passport suffices for both items.

UPDATE 12/04/07 Travel Document Requirements - Traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda

Traveling to Canada, Mexico and Bermuda by Land/Sea

Beginning January 31, 2008, the Department plans to move towards WHTI implementation at land and sea ports of entry by ending the routine practice of accepting oral declarations of citizenship alone.

Citizens of the United States, Canda, Bermuda and Mexico will need to present the following to enter or depart the United States by land or sea:

U.S. and Canadian Citizens

  • Ages 19 and older: a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate

  • Children ages 18 and younger: proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

  • Passports and trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

Citizens from Bermuda

  • Passport issued by the Government of Bermuda or the United Kingdom.

Citizens from Mexico

  • As under current entry requirements, Mexican nationals, regardless of age, must present a passport issued by the Government of Mexico and a visa, or a valid Form DSP-150, B-1/B-2 laser visa (Border Crossing Card).

  • Trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

Passport Requirements

All citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda are now required to present a valid passport when entering the United States at any airport as of January 23, 2007. This includes:

  • Children of any age, including children of Legal Permanent Residents who are United States citizens.

  • Mexican citizens who have a Border Crossing Card (BCC) when entering the United States by air. (The BCC is still valid in lieu of a passport and visa for land border crossings within the border region.) The BCC may be used as a visa.

Effective last January all persons entering the US by air, including US citizens were required to present a valid passport or other WHTI accepted document

On June 20, 2007 the Department of Homeland Security quietly muted the implementation of the requirement by expanding the definition of 'acceptable documents' (See: WHTI accepted document) to include a valid drivers license and proof of citizenship "such as a birth certificate" What will end is their acceptance of your verbal declaration of nationality. (See Dept of Homeland Security Page and US Department of State)

Complete implementation of the policy is expected in the summer of 2008. At that time only a passport or equivalent document will be acceptable. The DHS will issue 60 days notice on the implementation of this policy.

The first phase of the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) planned since 9/11, was begun last January. As of January 2007 all persons entering the United States by air were required to present a valid passport.

When this plan was hatched back in 2002 fewer than 20% of all US citizens had passports. Falling short of their own estimation of demand for passports, the US Department of Homeland Security fell as much as 6 months behind in the backlog for new passports. This resulted in some loosening of the requirements last summer.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Celebraties such as The Honey Brothers and the Kardashian Sisters at Nikki Beach Fiesta






ME Cabo and Nikki Beach will open their doors to their latest fete and what will be The Event of the Year ¨Honey in the Sand¨. This superb evening will be a total social circle swirl! Celebrity Guests such as The Honey Brothers (featuring members Adrian Grenier, Andren Vladeck, Ari Gold, Dean Boring, Ethan Gold) and the Kardashian Sisters (Stars of E!'s hit show, ¨Keeping up with the Kardashians¨ ), will be attending this magnificent event in addition to the renowned local artists and Los Cabos elite. This sophisticated and eye-catching bash will offer a unique setting with a refined atmosphere where cocktails will be enjoyed and the performances will steal the night away. National and international press will be covering this outstanding evening the ultimate place to not only see and be seen but to dance the night away to the renowned global sounds of house music spun by ME Cabo's excellent DJ’s.


Stand Up Paddle Surfing: Baja Bad: Some reflections on some bad times.

As we have said before on the BajaInsider.com, Baja California tourist violence, attacks have increased in Baja California (norte) and this is unfortunate. However, Even according to their own reports, most of these events occurred in places and time where knowledgable Baja travelers would have EXPECTED problems. Don't travel at night, don't find that remote camp spot all alone and to make it very simple... Don't be a nieve gringo. During the time period of the last 60 days when these attacks are said to have occured more thann 30 of the same events occurred in California State and National Parks - where US tax payers are PAYING for security. None of these attacks has occurred in Baja California Sur.

Stand Up Paddle Surfing: Baja Bad: Some reflections on some bad times.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Finding Your Dream Home in Baja California Sur in Mexican Real Estate

Your Mexico Dream Home Part 1

The first in a 2 part series on buying your dream home in Mexico. Author Linda Neil has more than 30 years experience in Mexico real estate.

 
 

Clear Skies for Baja California - Clouds for Baja Sur and Winds to come...

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

10AM MST 12/02/07 A strengthening High (red arrow) off the SoCal Coast will move ashore and bring north winds to the Sea of Cortez later today. Forecasters have diminished the forecast, now calling for winds to 15kts over the next 48hrs shifting to the NNE as the system passes. The High will bring clear skies to Baja California while Baja Sur will have partly to mostly cloudy skies do to the Pineapple Express (yellow arrow) As the High moves east the winds will follow a Trof (orange arrow) down the center of the Sea. A Low (magenta arrow) and a cluster of Highs and Lows (blue arrow) over the 4 Corners will all be pushed east. The crossing is forecast to have winds 15-20kts with seas to 5' through Wednesday. by then winds are expected to diminish to under 10kts and seas to less than 3'.

 
 

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Clearing Skies and North Winds for Baja California as California returns to Santa Ana Winds

   Weather  in Baja California

Surface Chart / Satellite IR
   

12PM MST 12/01/07 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season is officially over, and it was a much lighter than normal year. We will have a season wrap up coming soon. Today, Baja skies will clear but winds will increase from the WNW, shifting to the NNW as a High (red arrow) moves closer to SoCal. Winds will follow a Trof (orange arrow) as the High moves closer and winds in The Sea will shift to the NNW and may reach 30kts. Seas are expected to reach 6'. There is a cluster of Highs and Lows (yellow arrow) and a stationary front (magenta arrow) that will give way to the ENE over the next 24-36hrs as the front pushes east. None of these Highs, are particularly strong and the gradient difference is not as significant as those that delivered the early November winds. However, forecasts seem unanimous that winds should increase to 25-30kts from the NNW by Monday throughout the Sea. Hang onto your hats folks!