Cloud patterns excite Catalinans; storms continue to pile up for January

A swatch of Altocumulus perlucidus translucidus (sorry, that’s the way we talk around here) passed over Catalina early yesterday afternoon, each “unit” nearly perfectly evenly spaced with its fellow cloud element creating a brief period of cloud awe for those Catalinans (or is it, “Catalina-ites”?  “Catalinians”?  Who knows, who cares?).  Here it is, in case… Continue reading Cloud patterns excite Catalinans; storms continue to pile up for January

Goodbye summer storms; new book out about clouds!

First, I will shamelessly plug a book on clouds, “A Sideways Look at Clouds”,  by a well-published and acclaimed author friend, Maria Mudd Ruth.   Its about her odyssey into them,  mentally and physically,  after she realized they were something she really had not paid much attention to before mid-life,  then she had to know EVERYTHING… Continue reading Goodbye summer storms; new book out about clouds!

Sutherland Heights storm total now 0.71 inches as of 7 AM; soil turning green as moss look alike growth reminding one of Seattle spurts from bare ground!

First, in blogging for dollars, this: Here’s a nice one from the day before as the clouds rolled in, starting with Cirrus and Altocumulus, lowering to Stratocumulus later in the afternoon. Yesterday’s clouds; an extraordinary day with a little drizzle amid light showers Hope you noticed the true drizzle that occurred yesterday, namely, fine (larger… Continue reading Sutherland Heights storm total now 0.71 inches as of 7 AM; soil turning green as moss look alike growth reminding one of Seattle spurts from bare ground!

Storm disappoints with only 0.10 inches in Catalina

Oh, well.  Was expecting at least 0.25 inches a few days ago, and thought maybe a heavy shower last night might pull that expectation out of the trash bucket.  Monthly total now up to 0.70 inches (updated after reading NWS-style and CoCo gauges here), still significantly below average (0.96 inches). Not much else elsewhere, either. … Continue reading Storm disappoints with only 0.10 inches in Catalina

Powerful hurricane to not enter Arizona even though the model shows this happening; horse story

Many of you probably were gasping for air after having seen the WRF-GFS model outputs from last evening’s 5 PM AST global data. A large hurricane, really more the size of its typhoonic big brothers in the western north Pacific, and one that also dwarfs the late tropical remnant, “Newton” ,  that came through here… Continue reading Powerful hurricane to not enter Arizona even though the model shows this happening; horse story

Wipeout! Shaft winds weaken before arriving, aren’t able to push clouds up much

Surfaris.  Except it wasn’t funny.  This song begins with a mocking laugh.  Well, maybe “mocking” is correct. Used 90 min of video on an “incoming” yesterday, thinking we’d get shafted pretty good as a thin line of heavy Cumulus congestus transitioning to Cumulonimbus passed over, maybe a quarter or more of an inch from both… Continue reading Wipeout! Shaft winds weaken before arriving, aren’t able to push clouds up much

A humilis day with a surprise ending; horse prank story

Yesterday was another great humilis day for you, with quite a phase twist at the end.  I am sure most of you out there saw the surprising final touch to a warm day with high-based shallow Cumulus. Let’s see how close that using that old estimator technique was yesterday by examining the Tucson sounding for… Continue reading A humilis day with a surprise ending; horse prank story

Raining in puddle just ahead, but not on car; also, a horse picture

This was amazing.  I approach one of the puddles on Equestrian Trail.  I see that its raining HARD in the puddle.  I am only 20 feet from it, but its not raining on my car!  Here’s what that scene looked like: How could this be?  Of course, we’ve all seen heavy rain on the road… Continue reading Raining in puddle just ahead, but not on car; also, a horse picture

Heavy Altostratus to bring sprinkles-its-not-drizzle (educational title)

Also, lotta footnotes today. Beginning to wonder, with all the middle cloud thickness out there over and SW of Baja that’s headed this way if we won’t get sprinkles that produce a little measurable rain later today or overnight…. Models beginning to wetten things up here as well, like that Enviro Can model that sees… Continue reading Heavy Altostratus to bring sprinkles-its-not-drizzle (educational title)

Correction to big rain; no wash water

While living the big western life yesterday by riding a horse, me and my ridin’ pal, Nora B., came across some water flowing in the Sutherland Wash by the rusty gate on the east side of the wash that leads to Coronado National Forest land. So, with with a 3-5 inch rain on the Catalinas,… Continue reading Correction to big rain; no wash water