Much adieu about nothing (i.e., no rain)

There are a lot of photos here of yesterday’s clouds, considering it was a day with no rain.  Oh, well, pretty normal for a cloud-centric person where the least cloud minutiae is somehow “interesting.”

8:13 AM. Very gratifying and a little surprising to see the first tiny Cu spring up so early in the morning off'n Lemmon. But, would it be only shallow moisture?
8:13 AM. Very gratifying and a little surprising to see the first tiny Cu spring up so early in the morning off’n Lemmon. But, would it be only shallow moisture?
10:13 AM. Also a promising sign, a thin turret rising out of a blob of small Cu. Mr. Cloud Maven Person apologizes in advance if this shot is somehow offensive.
10:13 AM. Also a promising sign, a thin turret rising out of a blob of small Cu. Mr. Cloud Maven Person apologizes in advance if this shot is somehow offensive by suggesting a middle finger.
10:52 AM. Clouds mass above Ms. Lemmon, BUT, can they reach the ice-forming level where the temperature is as low as -10 C (14 F) or lower so that they can rain? I'm thinking it'll be close, but was not real hopeful.
10:52 AM. Clouds mass above Ms. Lemmon, BUT, can they reach the ice-forming level where the temperature is as low as -10 C (14 F) or lower so that they can rain? I’m thinking it’ll be close, but was not real hopeful.
11:19 AM. Amazing! On this expected to be dry day, Ms. Lemmon and her environs have created a Cumulonimbus cloud! Nowhere within a hundred miles was there another cloud like this!
11:19 AM. Amazing! On this expected to be dry day, Ms. Lemmon and her environs have created a Cumulonimbus cloud! Nowhere within a hundred miles was there another cloud like this!
11:19 AM. Zoom of the icy "calvus" top in the middle (its not very fibrous yet, but is clearly loaded with ice, unlike the crinkly turret at left. Sometimes that "calvus" look is compared with the look of "cotton candy." You remember, cotton candy don't you?
11:19 AM. Zoom of the icy “calvus” top in the middle (its not very fibrous yet, but is clearly loaded with ice, unlike the crinkly turret at left. Sometimes that “calvus” look is compared with the look of “cotton candy.” Within about 10 s, there was a rumble of thunder! You remember, cotton candy don’t you?
12:56 PM. Pretty clear here that the day was done as far as Cumulonimbus clouds are concerned as the drier air moving in the from the west took it toll, and well as the cooling of the mountains by the prior thunderstorm. Or was it done? CM thought so, but maybe I shouldn't tell you that, causing you to lose confidence.
12:56 PM. Pretty obvious here that the day was done as far as Cumulonimbus clouds over the Cat Mountains are concerned as the drier air moving in the from the west began to take its toll, as well as the cooling of the mountains by the prior thunderstorm. Or was it done? CM thought so, but maybe I shouldn’t tell you that, causing you to lose confidence.
1:50 PM. A truly shocking sight to CM. The Cumulonimbus clouds were able to start up again!
1:50 PM. A truly shocking sight to CM. The Cumulonimbus clouds were able to start up again!
2:04 PM. Mr. Cloud Maven Person enjoys showing you how fast cloud tops can glaciate, and this was a nice case.
2:04 PM. Mr. Cloud Maven Person enjoys showing you how fast cloud tops can glaciate, and this was a nice case (Cb calvus stage here).
5:23 PM. Well, it was all over by this time, no more Cbs, but here's a Cumulus mediocris showing crepuscular rays (ray features due to high aerosol content of the air).
5:23 PM. Well, it was all over by this time, no more Cbs, but here’s a Cumulus mediocris showing crepuscular rays (ray features due to high aerosol loading of the air).
7:32 PM. Nice pastel colored Cirrus spissatus cumulonimbogenitus (I couldn't stop with just "Cirrus", I had to ruin it with a long unpronounceable part. Oh, well, that's what cloud-maven person does.
7:32 PM. Nice pastel-colored Cirrus spissatus cumulonimbogenitus (I couldn’t stop with just “Cirrus”, I had to ruin it with a long unpronounceable part. Oh, well, that’s what cloud-maven person does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next and maybe last rain of the summer (kidding only a little) looks to be around August 3rd still.    Flow aloft looking awfully grim overall for summer rain in Catalina mod longer term predictions… This may be the worst thing I have ever said to a desert people during their “wet” season. Let’s hope we have about 5 inches on August 3rd or so!

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.