Summer-like clouds bring a trace of rain, thunder to Catalina

The Cottonwoods1 Daily Trash Report

Graphic of the Cottonwoods Trash Report.
Graphic of the Cottonwoods Trash Report.

Litterfolk continue to prefer Bud Light cans and bottles over craft beers.   While its interesting to make these surveys, CMP reminds readers, “Litter responsibly;  in a receptacle.”

The trash you see here was collected during a single trip to the Sutherland Wash and back.

The Sutherland Wash Flow Report

A  little water has resumed flowing in the Sutherland Wash hereabouts due to our recent rain:

The Sutherland Wash yesterday near the Baby Jesus Trail Head.
The Sutherland Wash yesterday near the Baby Jesus Trail Head.  Dog head also included.

The Cottonwoods Blowdown Report

The wind damage below was confined to an area only about 100 yards wide, and at the bottom of a small canyon leading down from Samaniego Ridge.  Once suspects that a narrow microburst, some supergust,  hit just in here as a rivulet of air collapsed down from the east-northeast after having gone over the mountains.   It was likely further funneled by that little canyon and blasted these poor trees.

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Note shoe size in lower left of photo.

DSC_4791 DSC_4795 DSC_4798 DSC_4799Yesterday’s clouds report

Cumulus got off to an early start, a line of Cumulonimbus to the north providing a hint of what was to come when the sun came out.

7:06 AM. Cumulonimbus line the northern horizon.
7:06 AM. Cumulonimbus line the northern horizon.
7:07 AM. An interesting set of very narrow shadows appeared briefly. The darker one might have been due to a young contrail.
7:07 AM. An interesting set of very narrow shadows appeared briefly. The darker one might have been due to a young contrail.  They seem too narrow to have been caused by cloud turrets.
10:34 AM. Cumulus congestus arose early and often on the Catalinas, becoming Cumulonimbus clouds later in the afternoon.
10:34 AM. Cumulus congestus clouds arose early and often on the Catalinas, becoming Cumulonimbus clouds later in the afternoon.
12:07 PM. Some Cumulus congestus clouds sported the rarely seen "pileus" cap, suggesting stronger than usual updrafts pushing moist air above the top upward slightly, just enough to form a sliver of cloud.
12:07 PM. Some Cumulus congestus clouds sported the rarely seen “pileus” cap, suggesting stronger than usual updrafts pushing moist air above the top upward slightly, just enough to form a sliver of cloud.
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12:07 PM.
12:54 PM. Before long, 47 minutes actually, big complexes of Cumulonimbus capillatus had formed to the north, and distant SW of Catalina.
12:54 PM. Before long, 47 minutes actually, big complexes of Cumulonimbus capillatus had formed to the north, and distant SW of Catalina.
1:47 PM. While pretty, this expansive Cumulonimbus capillatus incus (has an anvil), pointed to a potential rain-inhibiting problem: perhaps the exuberant convection would lead to an over-anvilated sky? Yes, it became a concern to all of us.
1:47 PM. While pretty, but this expansive Cumulonimbus capillatus incus (has an anvil), pointed to a potential rain-inhibiting problem: perhaps the exuberant convection would lead to an over-anvilated sky? Yes, it became a concern, I’m sure to all of us.  Cumulus cloud killing anvilation.
3:54 PM. While lightning forked in distant rainshafts, overanvilation pretty much terminated any chance of rain for Catalina due to Cumulus buildups. The anvil debris clouds are termed, Altostratus opacus cumulonimbogenitus.
3:54 PM. While lightning forked in distant rainshafts, over-anvilation pretty much terminated any chance of rain in Catalina due to Cumulus buildups. The anvil debris clouds are termed, “Altostratus opacus cumulonimbogenitus.”  Only clashing winds due to outflows from showers could possibly force rain now.
4:43 PM. Clashing shower winds (SW in Catalina, NE towards Oracle) did produce a large final shower in the area.
4:43 PM. Clashing shower winds (SW in Catalina, NE towards Oracle) did produce a large final shower in the area.  That lower cloud on the left side marks the area above and a little behind outflowing NE winds.  Sadly, that wind push from the NE, one that could have launched a big shower here, fizzled out.

The weather ahead and WAY ahead report

More pretty Cumulus clouds today, likely some will reach Cumulonimbus stage (develop ice) and shower here and there.  Flow will be off the Cat Mountains and so we here in Catalinaland are a little more elgible for a shower building on those mountains and drifting this way.

WAY ahead?

The models continue to occasionally produce a very heavy rainstorm in southern AZ on or about April Fool’s Day, once again appearing yesterday on the 18 Z (11 AM AST) run.  See below,  a really pretty astounding prediction again.  This system comes from deep in the Tropics, so deep you wonder if it might have some hair from a giant Galapagos tortoise with it.  It comes and goes in the models, but there is continuing  modest support for a low latitude trough to affect Arizona in the “ensemble” outputs, or “spaghetti” plots.2015031918_CON_GFS_SFC_SLP_THK_PRECIP_WINDS_3002015031918_CON_GFS_SFC_SLP_THK_PRECIP_WINDS_312

The End

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1“The Cottonwoods” is a local name given to a portion of the Sutherland Wash next to the Baby Jesus Trail Head.  It appears on most trail maps, and is a popular spot for underage drinking parties on weekends.

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.