Canadian dreams

Note:  Images did not show up when posted yet are present in draft; first time for this happenstance in WP.

This just in, from last night’s global GEM model run by The Canadians.  Using a magnifying glass, you can see that these panels show a tropical storm (now only known as Tropical Depression 12-E) moving into Arizona on the evening of September 9th (the panel with all the red coloring).  Hmmm.  Something to dream about, a final big greening rain; well, maybe just holding off the crispy period of our vegetation following the summer rains.  In any event, the tropical river should be back over us, even if it misses, bringing some more of that summer rain.2013091700 00_054_G1_north@america@zoomout_I_4PAN_CLASSIC@012_120

The USA! “WRF-GFS” model have no such storm, so there’s no point in showing that model output, though it does get real showery here before and on the 9th.  That would be good, too, though not AS GOOD.

Dreaming of what might come will help us get through the mini-drought and several day hot spell we’re now in I think.  Today is supposed to be pretty much like yesterday, capped small Cumulus clouds, too small to form ice and precip.

 

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Yesterday you probably thought there were no Cumulonimbus clouds in sight.  Maybe the haze and smoke were too much for you, and looking at local Cumulus clouds with not the slightest inclination to be more than “mediocris”, you gave up looking.

No Cumulonimbus sightings in your weather diary?

I feel sad that you didn’t see them, and you really didn’t need the telescope at the Stewart Observatory, but almost.  The smoke and haze, which made the sky whitish, made it a challenge, maybe like seeing a spotted owl in Eugene, OR.   Still, they were there.  Here’s the physical evidence:

3:43 PM.  Hiding through the haze, a Cumulonimbus calvus turrets.
3:43 PM. Hiding through the haze, a Cumulonimbus calvus turrets.  Still can’t see ’em?
SONY DSC
3:43 PM. Zoomed view of the same smogged up scene. See ’em now, just above and to the right of Twin Peaks?
Same zoomed scene with helpful arrowing.
Same zoomed scene with helpful arrowing.

Where’s all the damn haze and smoke coming from after our stupendously clear days, ironically, during our high humidity and wet spell?

Mexico, after the the air mass has poured across there from Texas.  In case you still don’t believe me, take this from ARL:

Back trajectory of the air at 4,000 meters above sea level over Tuscon at 5 PM yesterday.
A 72 hour back trajectory of the air at 4,000 meters above sea level over Tuscon at 5 PM yesterday.  Looks like it started out as a mid-level “long range” transport since this suggests that the haze was already up above 5000 meters three days ago.

By Art Rangno

Retiree from a group specializing in airborne measurements of clouds and aerosols at the University of Washington (Cloud and Aerosol Research Group). The projects in which I participated were in many countries; from the Arctic to Brazil, from the Marshall Islands to South Africa.