Frequently Asked Questions

When will there be a new blog post?

As much as I’d like to update the blog each time there are interesting/unusual/severe weather conditions in California, several constraints sometimes make this difficult. One reason is that writing media-rich updates is pretty time-consuming, and weather conditions often evolve faster than I can reasonably keep up with them. The Weather West niche exists at the “weather-climate” interface–which is to say, rather than try to keep up with all the day-to-day variations in weather conditions, my primary goal is to focus on the connections between large-scale atmospheric conditions and broader trends in weather across the entire state of California. Practically speaking, this means that I’ll typically write new blog posts every 1-3 weeks (though for particularly widespread, severe, or high-impact weather events, I’ll usually try to have at least one post in near real-time).

I do tend to provide more frequent micro-updates on California weather and natural hazard events on Twitter and Facebook.


Can you give me a weather forecast for location XXXX on date YYYY?

As a general rule, I don’t provide specific weather forecasts for particular times or locations. This is largely because I am less well-equipped to make such forecasts than the many agencies which are specifically tasked with doing so. In my personal opinion, the best resource for specific weather forecasts (in the United States) is the National Weather Service–an excellent example of your tax dollars productively at work.


Where can I find more information on a specific weather/climate/natural hazard/geoscience topic?

I have created a library of links to relevant websites on a wide range of weather/climate/natural hazard/geoscience topics. Also, if you have suggestions for new links to be included in the library, let me know!


I’m having a technical problem with the website (including the comments section). What should I do?

Let me know about the problem and I’ll do my best to fix it.


Can I reproduce content from the Weather West on my website/in my publication?

Absolutely! One of my goals in maintaining this site is to promote broader interest and engagement of weather/climate issues in California and beyond.  In keeping with this goal, I encourage visitors to share content widely.

I would ask only that blog posts not be reproduced in their entirety without direct permission (multiple long excerpts are fine!) and that reproduced content be attributed to Daniel Swain. Commercial re-use is acceptable as long as content is not located behind a paywall (i.e. must be freely available). Thanks for your cooperation!


I see an offensive/objectionable advertisement on your site. Can you do something about it?

Yes! The California Weather Blog is indeed ad-supported, and contains a mix content from hand-picked sponsors and targeted content served by Google. I have direct control over the former, but only indirect control over the latter. If you encounter an ad that you feel is offensive, contrary to the philosophy of this website, or is otherwise problematic, please let me know and I’ll make sure it doesn’t appear anymore to site visitors.


Can my business/organization advertise on your website?

Yes! If you are interested in discussing advertising options on the California Weather Blog, please contact me.


And finally, a few disclaimers:

1. Weather West/Daniel Swain do not provide weather forecasts or climate outlooks in any official capacity. Therefore, any use of information originating on this site is at the user’s own risk, and the user agrees that Weather West/Daniel Swain are not responsible for any losses (financial or otherwise) incurred as a result of site usage.

2. The views expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect those of my employer(s).

3. Participation in discussion in the comments section of this site is a privilege that is subject to the discretion of the moderator. If a particular user repeatedly posts off-topic, deliberately misleading and/or false, hateful or otherwise inflammatory/inappropriate content, I reserve the right to ban said user on a temporary or permanent basis.

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