Clear sunshine and a chilly breeze this early Monday on California’s north coast. A bright lull in rainstorms as we’re to expect a decent-sized front to blow through later today and continue through Wednesday.
According to the NWS, a cold storm system could drop snow levels to nearly 1500 feet by Tuesday night, adding small hail to the mix, too.

Storm clouds also on how Americans view their government — via Pew Research this morning:

Currently, just 19 percent say they can trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the past half-century.
Only 20 percent would describe government programs as being well-run.
And elected officials are held in such low regard that 55 percent of the public says “ordinary Americans” would do a better job of solving national problems.

(Illustration: M.C. Escher’s ‘Three Worlds,‘ found here).

This comes as we began a nasty cat-fight for president, and a mirror onto the GOP as a party of nothing but assholes. And the polling pubic seems to follow that lead. Elected people are not to be trusted — more from Pew:

Just 22 percent of the public say that most elected officials put the interests of the country ahead of their own interests; 74 percent say they put their own interests ahead of the nation’s.
When asked if certain traits apply to elected officials — as well as to business leaders and the typical American — most people do say the term “intelligent” describes elected officials very or fairly well (67 percent).
However, just as many view the “typical American” as intelligent. Somewhat more (83 percent) say the term describes business leaders well.
…
A large majority of the public (72 percent) also views elected officials as “selfish” — but that criticism is not unique to politicians.
Comparable percentages also say the term applies to typical Americans (68 percent) and business leaders (67 percent).
…
Most Americans reject the idea that “politics is a struggle between right and wrong.”
However, 53 percent of conservative Republicans do see politics this way — the highest share of any ideological group.

Of course, all Republicans see themselves on the ‘right’ side of the political war — yeah, right.
Intelligent and selfish?

And what’s a ‘typical American‘ anyway?
Crazy…