Sutherland Height residents rejoice and grouse over drought and road bustin’, super local, 3.36 inch “toad strangler”

“Frog strangler”,  folk expression from the South for extra heavy rains, btw,  which is what we had, except we have toads, not frogs. Here’s what I think happened to produce 3.36 inches on Sutherland Heights.  The winds were from the east at cloud levels.  Cumulus spawned off the Catalinas/Mt Lemmon area, but the wind shear… Continue reading Sutherland Height residents rejoice and grouse over drought and road bustin’, super local, 3.36 inch “toad strangler”

Another day, another rainbow, another trace of rain; ho-hum

Kind of getting tired of gorgeous rainbows every day, ones without a lot of rain here in The Heights.   But, here they are again: Upwind Cumulonimbus clouds faded as the trudged toward Catalinaland yesterday, bottoms evaporating, raining out, leaving only a big patch Altostratus cumulonimbogenitus way up (at least ten kft above the ground) there… Continue reading Another day, another rainbow, another trace of rain; ho-hum

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

The Cottonwoods1 Daily 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 … Continue reading Summer-like clouds bring a trace of rain, thunder to Catalina

More rain to fall in March; water STILL running in the Sutherland Wash!

The author has made two claims.  Let us look at the evidence, the first of which was obtained yesterday morning in support of one of those.  A hiker/walker, the author met, we will call him, “Bob”,  though it seems doubtful that’s his real name since he had quite a strong northern European accent,  said there… Continue reading More rain to fall in March; water STILL running in the Sutherland Wash!

The first of many cloud blobs in the days ahead, some rain-filled, passes over during the night

Here it is.  You may need an optical enhancement tool to see the radar echo speck nearest Catalina, and its not the one nearest the arrowhead below, but continue in that direction: You can also check on all the rain  that  fell overnight in the region  here, courtesy of Pima County ALERT rain gauges.  BTW,… Continue reading The first of many cloud blobs in the days ahead, some rain-filled, passes over during the night

Catalina Beach State Park; Canadians come up with a winner!

Its been this way for quite a while, actually since the big rains of late January, but I only found out about it yesterday:  “Thousands Gather Under Cloudy Skies for Beach Fun at Catalina State River and Beach Park !” (if one were writing a newspaper headline).  See below. Before reaching the beach at the… Continue reading Catalina Beach State Park; Canadians come up with a winner!

System vanquishes sun for three days! Produces 2.28 inches in The Heights!

While on the first day, January 29th, the sun was only blocked by mid-level clouds, the rainy ones on January 30th and 31st provided a rain amount to remember here in the Sutherland Heights (and elsewhere–numerous records broken),  2.28 inches recorded over 24 h ending at 7 AM for the past three days,  beginning with… Continue reading System vanquishes sun for three days! Produces 2.28 inches in The Heights!

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

The perfect rain

The “perfect storm”?  Well, maybe the perfect rain, and it kept giving fro several hours yesterday after our best model said it should end yesterday before 11 AM.  And what a nice rain!  1.18 inches total here in Sutherland Heights, as measured by a CoCoRahs plastic 4 inch gauge.  (You might consider getting one, btw,… Continue reading The perfect rain

Surveying the Sutherland Wash in the aftermath

Went on an hike yesterday to see what the water levels had gotten to in the Sutherland Wash, located at the base of Samaniego Ridge, during our historic downpour.  I began at the Cottonwoods at the Baby Jesus Trail head and worked my way down the wash about a mile, to where the fence is… Continue reading Surveying the Sutherland Wash in the aftermath