If all goes according to the soothsayers, we shall have moisture tonight and tomorrow, either as rain or very likely as snow. KNAU was talking one foot of snow for Kingman. Kingman, yet! Surely they were kidding; Kingman doesn't have the necessary elevation. Whatever happens tonight, by late this afternoon, the skies had already turned that chilly grey which precedes Serious Weather.
This is the sort of weather that kept Phoenix in water all those years before the tap on the Colorado River was opened between 1968 and 1993, when the Central Arizona Project canal was finally completed. Previously, almost every drop of water for our great winter playground came from the Arizona mountains.
The mountains are an Arizona that many winter visitors seldom see -- or take seriously. Naifs, they are quite likely to motor up to the Grand Canyon in their golf shorts, only to discover that the rim, at 7000' elevation is as cold as Minneapolis or Chicago or the Dakotas. (The north side of the canyon, another 2000' higher, is not open to the public in winter. If, indeed, they could get in through the deep snow!)
But these pictures, taken on a drive down the White Spar last weekend, show our mountains as they are not often seen, even by locals! As a rule, our heavy weather shows up, does its raining or snowing and moves on; almost immediately, we enjoy sunshine even as we shiver. If it weren't for the shade of forest and hillside, the snow wouldn't last long enough to fill the reservoirs later in the season. The drive was lonely -- few cars had ventured out -- and it was quite other-worldly!
If all goes according to the soothsayers, we shall have moisture tonight and tomorrow, either as rain or very likely as snow. KNAU was talking one foot of snow for Kingman. Kingman, yet! Surely they were kidding; Kingman doesn't have the necessary elevation. Whatever happens tonight, by late this afternoon, the skies had already turned that chilly grey which precedes Serious Weather.
This is the sort of weather that kept Phoenix in water all those years before the tap on the Colorado River was opened between 1968 and 1993, when the Central Arizona Project canal was finally completed. Previously, almost every drop of water for our great winter playground came from the Arizona mountains.
The mountains are an Arizona that many winter visitors seldom see -- or take seriously. Naifs, they are quite likely to motor up to the Grand Canyon in their golf shorts, only to discover that the rim, at 7000' elevation is as cold as Minneapolis or Chicago or the Dakotas. (The north side of the canyon, another 2000' higher, is not open to the public in winter. If, indeed, they could get in through the deep snow!)
But these pictures, taken on a drive down the White Spar last weekend, show our mountains as they are not often seen, even by locals! As a rule, our heavy weather shows up, does its raining or snowing and moves on; almost immediately, we enjoy sunshine even as we shiver. If it weren't for the shade of forest and hillside, the snow wouldn't last long enough to fill the reservoirs later in the season. The drive was lonely -- few cars had ventured out -- and it was quite other-worldly!
Once again, beautiful pictures GJ.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos GJ. Always something interesting here.
ReplyDeleteMist in the mountains, brume dans la montagne, Nebel in den Bergen - your photos are so atmospheric, Granny J.
ReplyDeleteI find the talk of snow interesting. We have been without, which is unusual here. It was forcasted for snow last night, but the sun is bright this morning and not a flake. No complaints from me.
ReplyDeleteThe forecast here, for several days has been for late afternoon thunder showers--ptuui, just a bit of wind and some clouds far to the east of us. February owes us some 12mm of rain. I'm not taking bets on it.
ReplyDeleteHappy whole bunch of years.
Hermano
I love the use of the word, atmospheric, to describe this post. It befits the photos and the writing.
ReplyDeleteCat-A -- that's because the scene was beautiful. I've seldom seen the hills wrapped in a misty rainfall like that.
ReplyDeletemeggie -- I think the reason may be that we weren't so foolish as to venture out in that kind of weather...
gth -- at least on those curves. Of which more later...
steve -- I woke up this a.m. to find a fine powder on the ground and falling. BTW -- why don't you link all your blogs at your Red Squirrel site???
bro -- obviously you can't have moisture way down there, inasmuch as we are having above average up here & you know that old weather seesaw between Prescott & Perth...
boonie -- you are kind, sir! Thank you.
Nice pics Granny! I just wish we would get a real amount of snow here, otherwise fire season will be as exciting as ever.
ReplyDeletetombo -- you are referring to last night's fizzle, I presume. Very disappointing. Yesterday afternoon when I lay down for my nap,it was cold inside; when I awakened, the world had warmed enough that it was raining (at 5400 ft.) which it continued doing for several hours.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, GJ! I love that deserted misty-moisty mountain world!
ReplyDeletebrain -- ah, but you had a chance to live within it! Lucky lady.
ReplyDeleteNice shots. Makes me want to visit some time.
ReplyDelete