Signs of wild winter already emerging in nature

Photo: Michael Furniss, Wild Earth Press Marmots, which live in the high Sierra above tree line, have...

From the Sierra crest in Yosemite National Park to the beaches of Monterey Bay, the critters continued to tell us in the past week that a volatile winter is ahead.

At high elevations in Yosemite, the marmots already have submerged in hibernation. This is several weeks, if not a month, early.

On an expedition, we spent several days above the tree line at elevations from 10,800 to 13,000 feet and found marmot scat peppered on rocks across the range. But the marmots, which often emerge around high-wilderness campsites to try to nab any trail mix and oatmeal that might have hit the ground, already had bid adieu to fall.

We also saw coyote scat, and the coyotes, too, had left the high country. We saw only a few pikas, Clark’s nutcrackers and one water ouzel still holding out. Up Tuolumne Meadows on the flank of Lyell Canyon, the aspens were blazing yellow and orange, and on one day, at 12,00 feet, we were pelted with 6 inches of snow.

At midweek, the Monterey Aquarium sent me a note that pelagic red crabs from Baja California, which look like mini lobsters, washed up in large numbers on the shore of Monterey Bay. Off Baja, these are a favorite food of tuna, and many anglers call them “tuna snacks.”

Sure enough, field scout Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist and interpretive specialist, said that not only did rare and huge schools of bluefin tuna arrive in Monterey Bay early in the week, but so did wahoo, the acclaimed sport fish from southern Baja. “We’ve got El Niño up the ying-yang,” he said.

Several other weather anomalies aligned at the same time. At the end of September, after a period of wind from the northwest, upwelling ocean waters and cooling temperatures, several new forces took hold.

John Lindsey, the meteorologist from PG&E, sent a note that the tropical cyclone Oho near Hawaii is forecast to travel off the Pacific Coast, “an unusual path, indeed.” In addition, what has been called “the blob,” an anomalous mass of very warm water off the Pacific Coast that some said would block El Niño moisture, is gone.

Photo: Michael Furniss, Wild Earth Press Marmot, which live in the high Sierra above tree line, have already...

Early last week, a rare upper-level system moved across Southern California, and in one 24-hour period, it rained 0.55 of an inch in Death Valley. That tied for the wettest 24-hour period in history for October. The same thing happened Oct. 3-4, 1972, which also was an El Niño year.

Despite the period of upwelling and cooling that occurred at the turn of the month, Bay Area coastal waters remain warm. As the weekend arrived, the sea temperature was 61.5 degrees at the San Francisco Weather Buoy, located 18 miles west of San Francisco near the Southeast Farallon Island. The historical long-term average for Oct. 11, according to the National Center for Environmental Information, is 56 to 57 degrees.

If this is something you follow, the historical averages for the next six months are: November, 55 degrees; December, 54; January, 53; February, 53; March, 53 and April, 52.

In past El Niños and other big winters, the game-changer events occurred in December (1937, 1964, 1995), January (1862, 1909, 1911, 1937, 1983, 1995, 1998), February (1983, 1986, 1995, 2011) and occasionally in March (1995).

Signs that El Niño has arrived. Signs that El Niño has arrived. Photo: Victor Calzada, AP Photo Photo: Victor Calzada, AP Photo Image 1 of / 73 Caption Close Signs of wild winter already emerging in nature 1 / 73 Back to Gallery

Crab opener

Rig up: The sport opener for Dungeness crab is Nov. 7 for the Bay Area coast. Many sportfishing boats in the Golden Gate Fleet already are getting booked, so make your plans now.

Boat info by harbor: Lovely Martha, San Francisco (650) 619-6629, www.lovelymartha.com; Emeryville Sportfishing Center, (510) 654-6040, www.emeryvillesportfishing.com; Berkeley Charter Boats, (510) 849-3333, www.berkeleycharterboats.com; Salty Lady, Sausalito, (415) 674-3474, www.saltylady.com; Executive Fishing Charters, San Rafael, (415) 460-9773, www.executivefishingcharters.com.

Pillar Point Harbor: If you own a boat, get everything set far in advance. In the past few years, the line at the boat ramp has been mind-boggling, extending out the parking lot, along Capistrano Road and back along the shoulder of Highway 1. The crabbing has been so good that all kept their tempers in check and waited their turn in peace, even when some had difficulties at the ramp. To keep tabs on the weather, a daily marine forecast is provided at Pillar Point Harbor, (650) 726-6070, Ext. 2.

Commercial opener: If a settlement is reached on a price, the commercial opener is Nov. 15 on the Bay Area coast.

Outdoor notes

Big show: At Half Moon Bay, humpback whales have put on another series of big shows just outside the harbor. The whales have been close enough to see from the beach or jetty, at times with three or four emerging on the surface, often lunge feeding.

Bears’ annual gorge: In preparation for winter, bears are migrating out of the high country and into the foothills across California to gorge on acorns, apples — where they can find them — and any other food within easy range. They are so obsessed that I’ve run into them scarfing acorns at 30 feet, where after a momentary surprise, they have moved upslope to let me pass, then returned back to the business of the acorns.

On the road in Yosemite: Signs are now posted on the roads in Yosemite National Park that show the outline of a red bear and ask people to keep alert for bears. The motto is, “Red bear, dead bear,” and refers to drivers speeding in the red zone at the park. Though it’s true some bears will charge across the road and there is nothing a driver can do to avoid a strike, the count is now up to 34 bears hit by cars in the park this year.

Timing it for the column: Remember the story about how, during drought or after a big wildfire, wildlife can end up at golf courses, athletic fields and local gardens to find food and water? In the Sierra foothills, the day after that story ran, Dave Urquhart, superintendent of the Big Oak Flat-Groveland School District, wrote that a math teacher from Don Pedro High School sighted a juvenile mountain lion running through campus.

Tom Stienstra is The Chronicle’s outdoor writer. E-mail: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom