Some recent pretty clods

Been busy as a briefly unretired science worker (gave a stressful talk at a university last week) and thought maybe a lot of usual drop ins to this site might not anymore.   So, in the title for today,  am reaching out to a new demographic: persons interested in congealed soil matter.  They might later, after… Continue reading Some recent pretty clods

More patterns galore, but with natural holes in them that made for an extra fascinating day!

Photos of yesterday’s patterns I could literally hear the cameras clicking all over Catalina and Oro Valley as these patterns showed up, moving in from the southwest as the increasing numbers of cloud-centric folk lost control of themselves.  Reflecting that general loss of control, which affected yours truly, too many photos will be posted here. … Continue reading More patterns galore, but with natural holes in them that made for an extra fascinating day!

High cold ones, and lots of patterns in a complex sky

In particular, those Altocumulus clouds, “cold” Cirrocumulus (ones that transform to ice immediately),  and those “Altocumulocirrus” clouds combining  with  scenes of “regular” cirriform clouds.  Lots of interesting sights to have seen yesterday.  All these the result of marginal moisture aloft and strong winds, up around 100 mph at the highest Cirrus levels. Let us begin… Continue reading High cold ones, and lots of patterns in a complex sky

“Peru’s Niño”

I thought you’d like to read this (Peru’s Niño), forwarded to me by Niño expert, Nate M.   Pretty incredible to read about what is happening down there in the wake of the Big Niño of 2015-16,  which really turned out to be more of a couch potato in terms of weather production in the Great… Continue reading “Peru’s Niño”

Iridescence, jet streak Cirrus warn of overnight “middlin'” storm

I guess “billows” (“undulatus” in cloudspeak) two days ago in the late afternoon wasn’t enough of a sign that the weather was changing. Yesterday we had fast moving Cirrocumulus with rainbows in it, and as the sun was setting, “jet streak Cirrus”, a line of Cirrus clouds often seen in the very core of high… Continue reading Iridescence, jet streak Cirrus warn of overnight “middlin’” storm

Sunrise, sunset colors drench Gatalina, AZ; Cal storms reach epic proportions

We’re often confused with the California island, Catalina, and even places in Spain.   Google “Catalina” and see if I am lying again. Oh, maybe that was Catalonia, SP… Nevertheless, isn’t it time to think about a new name for our “Census Designated Place”, Catalina?  In fact, at one time, each Catalina island and our… Continue reading Sunrise, sunset colors drench Gatalina, AZ; Cal storms reach epic proportions

Summer-like storm surprises with frequent thunder and a half inch of rain in 18 min

Here are the latest 24 h totals, ending this morning the 23rd at 3 AM AST from your Pima County ALERT gauge network.  Our own amount over this period is embedded  for comparison purposes: Gauge         24         Name                        Location     ID#             hours     —-     —-       —-        —-       —-         —-       —————–            ——————— Catalina Area     1010          0.71     … Continue reading Summer-like storm surprises with frequent thunder and a half inch of rain in 18 min

A stragne and wonderful day

Many strange1  and wonderful sights were seen yesterday; I could feel the excitement out there as one cloud  microstructural mystery after another regaled our Catalina skies. How cold are these clouds?  Lets look at the TUS sounding, launched at about 3:30 AM yesterday morning. That bank of Altocumulus was racing at more than 50 mph… Continue reading A stragne and wonderful day

A day with rare and regular clouds

Yesterday, whilst disappointingly dry, no rain fell here overnight was a day of rare cloud sightings, most of it involving the rarely seen, “Cumulo-cirrus1“, a cloud fakery situation where extremely cold (less that -40°Ç, -40° F)and clouds at Cirrus levels appear to be ordinary little Cumulus fractus clouds. I hope you weren’t fooled by those impersonators.… Continue reading A day with rare and regular clouds

Colorful evening ends day with a colorful morning; a note on the great Cal rains of October 2016

Not much else to talk about, no rain of course;  what is that? But with so many colorful scenes yesterday, we can be partially sated by the  lives we lead here sans rain here.  October ended with a puny 0.01 inches in Sutherland Heights. Now, because I grew up in California and remain a little… Continue reading Colorful evening ends day with a colorful morning; a note on the great Cal rains of October 2016