Baja 1000 pre-running begins near Los Cabos; Vance stays far away

Race teams are scouting the Cabo to Cabo course, Hurricane Vance is far to the southeast, and Sunday looks sunny and warm with a building swell.

By the Lobo Los Cabos newsroom · Saturday, October 24 · Watch the show

Baja 1000 pre-running is under way

Race trucks are out on Los Cabos roads. Mexico News Daily reports that pre-running for the Baja 1000 started Saturday, with teams scouting the Cabo to Cabo course. The route heads up the East Cape and returns down the Pacific side past Todos Santos and El Pescadero.

Drivers who see a race truck on the highway or a dirt road should drive carefully and give it plenty of room. The race itself starts and finishes on Avenida Centenario in San José del Cabo, with the start on November 13.

Tropics

Hurricane Vance is a long way from Los Cabos. As of the National Hurricane Center's 3 p.m. Central advisory, Vance is a Category 1 storm with 90 mph winds, about 790 miles southeast of Cabo and about 335 miles southwest of Acapulco. It is moving north-northwest at 6 mph. NHC expects more weakening through Sunday night, with some re-intensification possible Monday.

There are no watches or warnings for Los Cabos, and NHC's outlook shows nothing else brewing. The concern is on the mainland. NHC says Colima and western Michoacán and Jalisco could see 4 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 10 inches, through next Thursday. It warns of possible life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

No coastal watches are in place yet, but NHC says a Tropical Storm Watch may be needed for parts of the southwestern coast of Mexico tonight or Sunday. Anyone with family there may want to check in tonight.

Tomorrow's weather

Sunday should be partly cloudy with a high of 88°F and a low of 73°F. Wind will be light from the south-southeast at around 7 mph, and no rain is expected. The water is 89°F. Monday and Tuesday stay around 88°F.

Surf and Spot Check

NOAA's wave model shows about 6 feet offshore Sunday morning at 13 seconds out of the southeast, and the swell is building. Cerritos on the Pacific side is about 5 feet. The Corridor, at Zippers and Old Man's, shows the most at about 6.5 feet. The East Cape is about 5.5 feet.

These are offshore model numbers, not what is breaking at the beach, so check your spot before paddling out. If it is over your head, enjoy it from the sand.

Fishing

Water temperature is 89°F, and Sunday night brings a full moon. Morning wind should be light at about 7 mph, but the building swell means a little roll out on the water.

According to Bisbee's, just 14 blue marlin were recorded on the final day of the Black and Blue. Cantango Spartan's Revenge, the only qualifier with a 491-pound blue, is poised for a record payout. The final figure comes at Saturday night's awards banquet.

Peso check

As of Friday, one U.S. dollar buys about 18.8 pesos and one Canadian dollar about 13.4, so money goes a little further than last week. Those are market rates. Exchange houses and shops in town usually give a bit less, so compare before you swap.

Coming up in Los Cabos

Día de Muertos Los Cabos starts in seven days on Playa El Médano in Cabo San Lucas, and runs October 31 to November 3. The celebration is organized by the Los Cabos municipal government with local cultural and tourism groups.

Lobo's tip for the morning: with the swell building and race teams on the roads, plan a little extra time and a lot of patience.

Written from public weather, marine and hurricane data and the organizers' own reports. Surf numbers are offshore model readings, not breaking waves. For official alerts, follow Protección Civil Los Cabos. Got something happening? Tell Lobo.