Better late than never; night storms dump 1.42 inches on Sam Ridge!

If you were awakened last night by thunder, as I was, but then that bit disappointed that not a lot of rain fell, well it did, just not here.   In three hours, in the epicenter of those storms,  Samaniego Peak got a whopping 1.42 inches, by far the most around, bringing the 24 h total there to a magnificent 1.93 inches.  Here in “The Heights”, we only got a tenth last night, with the 24 h total ending at 7 AM, of just 0.19 inches, thanks to about a tenth yesterday morning.  You can see more precip data here from the Pima County ALERT gages, along with the other sites such as Rainlog.org and CoCoRahs.

The “tropical river” of moisture from the Tropics is shifting east, and soon we’ll be in the “dry wash” of the westerly flow from the Pacific, too soon really, with a very small chance of storms.  Today is the last day of the larger ones, ones with a greater chance of landing on Catalina.  After today, we’ll likely just see them off in the distance.

There were some fabulous scenes yesterday, even in the overcast morning rains, followed by those low Stratocumulus and Stratus fractus clouds lining the Catalinas.  Here are a few, well, too many again:

7:56 AM. You may wonder why I am posting this shot. Well, its a sky we don't see often here, that dark, rainy look, Stratus fractus creeping along the Catalina Mountains. I thought it was pretty neat. Wouldn't if I still lived in SEA; would be same old same old as they say. But here! Fabulous.
7:56 AM. You may wonder why I am posting this shot. Well, its a sky we don’t see often here, that dark, rainy look associated with Nimbostratus (the amorphous cloud above the darker ragged Altocumulus.Stratocumulus clouds in the center).  Stratus fractus is creeping along the Catalina Mountains. I thought it was pretty neat scene. Wouldn’t if I still lived in SEA; would be same old same old as they say. But here in Catalina? Fabulous.
9:25 AM. While the little rain storm had ended, those low Stratocumulus (too bumpy to be Stratus) were a delight to see up against the mountains with the light playing on them as holes in the higher Altocumulus deck went by,
9:25 AM. While the little rain storm had ended, those low Stratocumulus (too bumpy to be Stratus) were a delight to see up against the mountains with the light playing on them as holes in the higher Altocumulus deck went by,

 

10:25 AM. Springtime for fungi. Our recent rains have triggered unusual life forms. Here, a large white disk has emerged from the soil just off ET *Equestrian Trail), encountered while walking the dog.
10:25 AM. Springtime for fungi. Our recent rains have triggered unusual life forms, probably from Seattle.   Here, a large white disk has emerged from the soil just off ET *Equestrian Trail), encountered while walking the dog (Laurie Anderson).

 

11:40 AM. Wasn't long before a bit of heating launched giant Cumulonimbus, though soft ones, not real powerful ones. Still, a gorgeous sight.
11:40 AM. Wasn’t long before a bit of heating launched giant Cumulonimbus, though soft ones, not real powerful ones with a lot of lightning. Still, a gorgeous sight.  Looking northwest, beyond Saddlebrooke.

 

12:10 PM. Windshift line marked by a line of Stratocumulus approaches Catalina. This did not seem good. There was no real response to it, just shallow clouds, and the clouds behind it seemed suppressed, suggesting drier air was going to move in. I wonder if you saw this line of clouds?
12:10 PM. Windshift line marked by a line of Stratocumulus/Cumulus congestus (right) approaches Catalina. This did not seem good. There was no real response to it, just shallow clouds, and the clouds behind it seemed suppressed, suggesting drier air was going to move in. I wonder if you saw this line of clouds?  Any cloud line like this should be viewed as one likely associated with a wind shift.  It was also approaching pretty fast.

 

3:10 PM. After being in the gym for awhile, came out to see that drier air had indeed moved in, and these great looking Cumulus congestus clouds were going nowhere. From the "Not taken while driving" collection. I really like not taking pictures while driving. That would crazy to do.
3:10 PM. After being in the gym for awhile, came out to see that drier air had indeed moved in, and these great looking Cumulus congestus clouds were going nowhere. From the “Not taken while driving” collection. I really like not taking pictures while driving. That would be a crazy thing to do.

 

4:09 PM. The Cumulus over the Cat Mountains continued to wither under the influence of drier air. Was getting pretty discouraged since little of the daytime rain predicted had occurred by this time.
4:09 PM. The Cumulus over the Cat Mountains continued to wither under the influence of drier air. Was getting pretty discouraged since little of the daytime rain predicted had occurred by this time.

 

In fact, the only precipitation I had seen since about 9 AM in the morning was by this cow. "Precipitating Cow", yours for $2,000.
In fact, the only precipitation I had seen since about 9 AM in the morning was by this cow (look closely). “Precipitating Cow”, yours for $2,000.

 

5:31 PM. Cute little cloud tries to grow up like his surrounding brother and sister clouds. What an effort! (Demonstrates the instability of the layer in which the Cumulus formed.)
5:31 PM. Cute little cloud tries to grow up like his surrounding brother and sister clouds. What an effort! (Demonstrates the instability of the layer in which the Cumulus formed.)
6:30 PM. But hope arose again as a line of Cumulonimbus appeared on the horizon before sunset, and grew closer. Because there were several, you could tell it was something organized was yet to come; it was not just an isolated one or two.
6:30 PM. But hope arose again as a line of Cumulonimbus appeared on the horizon before sunset, and grew closer. Because there were several, you could tell it was something organized was yet to come; it was not just an isolated one or two.  Note the pileus cap on the highest turret (between the lines) indicating a strong updraft.

 

6:54 PM. Unzoomed view of the approaching group of Cumulonimbus, our nighttime storms. The shadow radiating from the setting sun was due to a Cumulonimbus top not visible on the horizon at right.
6:54 PM. Unzoomed view of the approaching group of Cumulonimbus, our nighttime storms. The shadow radiating from the setting sun was due to a Cumulonimbus top not visible on the horizon at right.  Indicative, too, of organization, something that might make it into the night, not just die away,  were all the towering Cumulus lined up on the horizon to the left of the big cell in the center.  Pretty darn spectacular scene I thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Precipitating cow

Wall of Voodoo

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.