12/11/2021 - Will they activate StormWatch in the West this weekend

[jboy210]

With another atmospheric river aiming for California and the West this weekend and next week, I would not be surprised to see them turn on StormWatch this weekend.

One forecast shows over 100 inches of snow by early next week in places in the Sierras. And predicted to drop 4-6 inches in the SF Bay Area. We are hoping the creek above our house does not flood into our house.

And it looks like this series of storms will dump a lot of rain and snow all the way to the Rockies.

 

[bmah]

Agree for planned events, but what about this storm? Are there automatic notices to Tesla or someone manually informs them?

I don't think Tesla has said and there's not necessarily a strong consensus here on TMC either. My personal guess is that Tesla uses a combination of automatic data feed(s) for most weather events, plus manual overrides for things like PG&E PSPS events. Somehow these events are geofenced and the (known) location of a given Powerwall system matches one or more events, or it doesn't. But that's just a guess.

Bruce.

 

[skepticcyclist]

I do wonder how much of a role local utilities play as well. Just from the info I see posted on this forum it appears those of you in PG&E regions get more storm watch triggers similar warnings that do not trigger it for us with other utility companies. We see it here with those that live outside of any current NWS warning.

I also noticed the same in October. My region in Edison territory did not get a Storm Watch activation when we had flood warnings and wind advisors, where those in PG&E got it activated even if they had just one of those events.

The NWS just issued winter storm watch and high wind watch for the foothill communities, mountains, and high deserts here in Los Angeles County. They will be changed to warnings by tomorrow. Let's see if we will get a Storm Watch activation by tomorrow or sooner. I doubt it

 

[jjrandorin]

I do wonder how much of a role local utilities play as well. Just from the info I see posted on this forum it appears those of you in PG&E regions get more storm watch triggers similar warnings that do not trigger it for us with other utility companies. We see it here with those that live outside of any current NWS warning.

I also noticed the same in October. My region in Edison territory did not get a Storm Watch activation when we had flood warnings and wind advisors, where those in PG&E got it activated even if they had just one of those events.

The NWS just issued winter storm watch and high wind watch for the foothill communities, mountains, and high deserts here in Los Angeles County. They will be changed to warnings by tomorrow. Let's see if we will get a Storm Watch activation by tomorrow or sooner. I doubt it

I have gotten like 5-6 stormwatch activations a year (mostly for red flag wind), since I got my powerwalls, in SCE territory in riverside county. The last one was just a few weeks ago and was like 4 days actually. I think it really depends on where you are, not necessarily what CA utility you have.

 

[skepticcyclist]

I have gotten like 5-6 stormwatch activations a year (mostly for red flag wind), since I got my powerwalls, in SCE territory in riverside county. The last one was just a few weeks ago and was like 4 days actually. I think it really depends on where you are, not necessarily what CA utility you have.

That actually supports my question. They too go into Storm Watch for Red Flag, but are also more likely to for other events too (Just look at those here in Storm Watch when they currently have no warnings.)

SCE will shut off power in areas during red flag warning. That’s the only time they do so for weather related events. PG&E will shut it off for Red Flag and other events. And they have more grid issues in total causing more outages.

 

[jjrandorin]

That actually supports my question. They too go into Storm Watch for Red Flag, but are also more likely to for other events too (Just look at those here in Storm Watch when they currently have no warnings.)

SCE will shut off power in areas during red flag warning. That’s the only time they do so for weather related events. PG&E will shut it off for Red Flag and other events. And they have more grid issues in total causing more outages.

I dont think any of the "Big three" CA utilities are great (PGE / SCE / SDGE), but I do think that PGE is the "worst" one of those three, and I also think that PGE is the most likely to "turn it off, turn it all off!" due to their previous culpability issues.

 

[skepticcyclist]

I dont think any of the "Big three" CA utilities are great (PGE / SCE / SDGE), but I do think that PGE is the "worst" one of those three, and I also think that PGE is the most likely to "turn it off, turn it all off!" due to their previous culpability issues.

I agree. But I’m just wondering if there is some formula used to determine SW where location and utility provider is one variable? The likelihood of region “a” with utility “x“ losing power compared to region “b” with utility “y” losing power under similar scenarios.

 

[Merrill]

I do not think any of the utility monopolies have a clue at what they are doing, no one overseeing them they do what they want without any repercussion.

 

[aesculus]

Think this is Tesla's formula, nobody else's. But this is purely speculation.

 

[charlesj]

Just saw that I am under Storm watch since noon, local time. Grid is still charging up batteries.
I guess until this is over and grid is up, my energy will be mostly from the grid as there isn't much solar production right now with 4.2 kWh so far today.

 

[skepticcyclist]

Just saw that I am under Storm watch since noon, local time. Grid is still charging up batteries.
I guess until this is over and grid is up, my energy will be mostly from the grid as there isn't much solar production right now with 4.2 kWh so far today.

Your area was just issued a high wind warning on top of the other watches. It is probably the wind warning that ultimately triggered it.

My area is under a high wind watch and flood watch. I will wait to see if any of these get changed to a warning. If they do, that should trigger SW. If SW isn't triggered after a wind warning is issued (if it is), then there has to be some variable for utility and location as well as just the warning system

 

[skepticcyclist]

Just as I predicted, now all of the watches have been changed to warnings here in SoCal (LA County.) I am right on the edge of the warning zones. SW must have been activated over night since the batteries are fully charged. I guess that answers my question.

 

[skepticcyclist]

During the Red Flag Warning initiated Storm Watch I usually turn off Storm Watch, because with the Santa Ana winds we will get plenty of sun. But since this is an actual storm and solar production will be minimal at best, I will leave it on

 

[jjrandorin]

Just as I predicted, now all of the watches have been changed to warnings here in SoCal (LA County.) I am right on the edge of the warning zones. SW must have been activated over night since the batteries are fully charged. I guess that answers my question.

Looking at my app history, stormwatch turned on for me last night around 4:25 in the morning, just by looking at the powerwall graph and seeing that it started charging at that time this morning.

 

[skepticcyclist]

Looking at my app history, stormwatch turned on for me last night around 4:25 in the morning, just by looking at the powerwall graph and seeing that it started charging at that time this morning.

1:30 am for both notification and charging for me

You're in the San Diego NWS region (which covers San Diego, Orange, western Riverside, and western San Bernardino.) I'm in the Oxnard/LA NWS region (which covers Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Kern Counties.) Looking at their discussions, LA NWS changed their watches to warning at around midnight; while San Diego changed them around 3am.

Interesting that eastern Riverside and Imperial County is covered by the Phoenix NWS and eastern San Bernardino County by Las Vegas NWS

 

[marx1]

I got it at 7pm today in the bay area, started charging during peak.... Not happy about it sucking power at $0.53/kwh that. I was already at 85% thankfully.

It was triggered by a flood watch issued at 6:45pm

 

[ptdusn]

Hi All,
Ok, here's something really odd...with Stormwatch shut off and my Powerwalls feeding the house the house power indication is .8kW, but when I turn Stormwatch back on and the grid starts charging them, the power indication to the house jumps up to 4.7kW!! What could be the issue?? A CT nt placed correctly? Or?

 

[jboy210]

Hi All,
Ok, here's something really odd...with Stormwatch shut off and my Powerwalls feeding the house the house power indication is .8kW, but when I turn Stormwatch back on and the grid starts charging them, the power indication to the house jumps up to 4.7kW!! What could be the issue?? A CT nt placed correctly? Or?

Transducer misplacement (or dryer running ) would be my guess. How many Powerwalls do you have and were they all installed at the same time?

 

[jboy210]

Now 6 AM in Tuesday 12/14 and StormWatch never came on. Rather surprised given the amount of rain and wind. The rain has finally slowed so I am out for run/walk. Followed by some branch cleanup. Then a day sealed inside my home office as wall boarders put up mud and close the stairway.

 

[getakey]

I'm surprised my SW is still on

 

[skepticcyclist]

Started raining early this morning and already received 1.04 inches of rain at my house and lots of street flooding on the way to work. Expecting about another 3-4 inches here