Clouds larger than expected; and a travelogue about areas where historic July rains fell

First, yesterday’s sunset:

7:14 PM. Residual Cumulus and Stratocumulus supply targets for fading sunlight.
7:14 PM. Residual Stratocumulus clouds supply targets for fading sunlight.

Some pie, H-pie: Whereas a modest push of moisture into Tucson and central Pima County was deemed insufficient to produce rain here yesterday, some drops DID fall here producing a trace late yesterday afternoon.

But some areas of the Catalinas got clobbered with White Tail, over there around Sabino Canyon, collecting 2.17 inches (!) and Samaniego Ridge over thisaway, 0.47 inches, the latter from a pile of Cumulus congestus clouds that blossomed into a Cb with a dense rain shaft right before the writer’s eyes. This after he had opined to his wife that he doubted those dark clouds would rain on the western side of the Catalinas…. Hmmmm.

They thundered and rained a plenty, and the wind that came out of that shaft dropped the temperature some 15 degrees here in Sutherland Heights with wind gusts to more than 35 mph. Furthermore, that outflow, spreading out across Oro Valley and parts NW, and went on to launch one new thunderstorm north of Saddlebrooke, which was very nice, of course. Didn’t think that would happen either as very dry air was working its way in already from the SW.

As the clouds massed over Catalina-Sutherland Heights, was returning from a fabulous tour “investigating” the results of 8-12 inches of rain in Jul of the area around Sierra Vista-Fort Huachuca along HWYs 90 and 92 then through Coronado National Memorial Park (about 10 inches fell at Visitor’s Center in July), then over Montezuma Pass (6575 ft) and on to Sonoita.

Holy Smokes was that gorgeous; highly recommended. Traveling down HWY 90, With Stratocumulus topping the green, forested Huachuca Mountains, and the green in the foreground, one thought of Hawaii. Some photos from that trip FYI. It’ll be a LONG time before this happens again! Also, some summer wildflowers are in display as well.

10:12 AM, Sierra Vista.
10:12 AM, Sierra Vista.
10:20 AM, Sierra Vista. Some kind of flower. I am a cloud maven, not a flower maven.
10:20 AM, Sierra Vista. Some kind of flower. I am a cloud maven, not a flower maven.
11:13 AM. Entrance sign to the Park, in case you didn't believe that I went there to see the effects of a lot of rain.
11:13 AM. Entrance sign to the Park, in case you didn’t believe that I went there to see the effects of a lot of rain.
11:13 AM. Another view going in, one from the viewpoint of driving on the wrong side of the road for the purpose of startling you, getting your attention here.
11:13 AM. Another view going in, one from the viewpoint of driving on the wrong side of the road for the purpose of startling you, getting your attention here.
11:22 AM. Raingauge at the CNP Vistior's Center. I thought you would like to see that. Looks a little too enclosed by vegetation unless the rain is falling straight down.
11:22 AM. Rain gauge at the CNMP Vistior’s Center. I thought you would like to see that. Looks a little too enclosed by vegetation, and unless the rain is falling straight down. If its windy, its likely to under catch the precip.  Should be in an opening twice the distance as the nearest high thing, something like that, quite an opening.
11:55 AM. View of small Cumulus from the top of Montezuma Pass in the CNMP.
11:55 AM. View of small Cumulus from the top of Montezuma Pass (elev. 6575 ft) in the CNMP.  Temp was 81 F is all.
12:07 PM. A view of the Pass environs, with moderate-sized Cumulus clouds.
12:07 PM. A view of the Pass environs, with moderate-sized Cumulus clouds.  So green.
12:24 PM. Another flower of some kind, who knows what? There were a lot of these things on the way down toward the west.
12:24 PM. Another flower of some kind, who knows what? There were a lot of these things on the way down the Pass toward the west.
12:56 PM. Hell, its beginning to look like KS here. What is with that? Also, it was disheartening not to see any cars for long stretches, cars containing people looking at the effects of an historic July rainfall.
12:56 PM. Hell, its beginning to look like KS here. What is with that? Also, it was disheartening not to see any cars for long stretches, cars likely containing people looking at the effects of historic July rains.
4:52 PM. Blast of wind came about ten minutes later.
4:52 PM. Got back just in time to see this thunderstorm develop.  The blast of wind came about ten minutes later.  A day doesn’t get better than this one.

 

5:45 PM. So pretty!
5:45 PM. So pretty, this Cumulonimbus northwest of Saddlebrooke resulting from the outflow from the rain shaft shown above.

Hot dry days ahead for awhile, as you know.  May have to generate some filler material….

The End.

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.