Verna and Bob's Weblog

Climate

The Big “O”

The old and tired saying comes to mind: If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself. However, despite our reckless self-deprecation in our earlier years, we have managed to turn all the bad habits into less-worse habits and persevered this far down the road to eternity. We remain in good health and visit the specialists of the few ailments (now in remission) who monitor those functions and all gauges are in the green.

Our festivities for the day will consist of Steaks on the Barbie with a nice salad provided by Verna. There might even be a couple of adult beverages consumed as the day goes on.

We may get some rain and a possible Thunderstorm later today. As I look back on the years, I can remember quite a few times we had lightning shows in mid to late July. That would be nice if we have some of that today – we could use the cooler weather, but not so much the inevitable humidity that comes with it.

Here’s to another trip around Old Sol.

July 22, 2023 by Climate Family Retirement

Lenticular Clouds and a Flower

The Wickenburg and surrounding area forecast called for high winds (to 40 MPH) all day today. In the sky (clickable image above) we saw several areas like the one depicted having lenticular (altocumulus lenticularis) or lens-shaped clouds. Sometimes called “standing lenticulars,” the clouds appear stationary in the sky but the truth is they are in a very high winds condition usually downwind from mountain ridges. The clouds condense at the tops of the “mountain wave” where the airmass is rising and descending as it moves away from the ridge, I think they are very pretty to look at, but I wouldn’t care to be in an aircraft anywhere near them.

In other news, we had an Argentine Giant Cactus flower opening up on Palm Sunday evening. The photo below is that flower in the broad daylight of Monday afternoon. Click on either image to enlarge.

April 3, 2023 by Arizona Climate Home & Garden Photography

Vernal Equinox 2023

OK — the first day of Spring and the Equinox are here. The nights of darkness and days of sunlight are of equal lengths, according to the official astronomical ephemeris. However, at our particular latitude and longitude here in Arizona, the day length grew to just over twelve hours last Wednesday per the actual observed sunrise to sunset times. So, we can look forward to longer days peaking at the Summer Solstice and then on to the Fall Equinox when they fall back to be less than 12 hours again.

As of a couple of weeks ago, the Turkey Buzzards have begun to migrate back to Arizona and other northern places, I assume. These vultures bring the promise of warmer conditions for us, although there is still some cooler weather and precipitation still headed our way.

Even though it will be a month or more before the Pride of Barbados or Red Bird of Paradise shrubs to return from their winter slumber (we cut them back to nearly ground level in the fall). We expect that the hummers will begin to take advantage of the nectar when the gorgeous flowers return to our courtyard.

Enjoy the warmer weather and longer daylight. We know we will be enjoying the spring weather, birds and flowers.

Images courtesy of Verna.

March 20, 2023 by Astronomy Climate Critters Flowers Photography

In Like a Lion

I know that other regions in our Nation have had much colder winter weather than we’re currently experiencing and, in fact, so have we here in past years. However, this is the coldest we have had this winter and it’s happening in accordance with the March Proverb. Supposedly, this is the time of late winter when we’re beginning to have cactus flowers blooming and other signs of impending spring.

In the image above, you can see the Weaver foothills covered with snow which is fairly rare here. The snow will be gone tomorrow and then we will expect to revert to the late winter conditions we’re used to. I hope.

Verna snapped a bunch of snow photos today and this one shows the lower foothills and the snow proximity. Click on the image to enlarge.

March 2, 2023 by Arizona Climate Photography

A Sunset Cloud Rainbow

About a half hour before sunset this evening, this beautiful prismatic rainbow appeared in the ice crystals of high clouds west of our house. There were a lot of clouds over California and Arizona due to Hurricane Kay, currently making its way up the Baja California Coast.

The weather forecast for us over the next couple of days will be cloudy with possible thundershowers. In California, there are forecasts for flash flooding and high winds that may cross over into Arizona. We’re ready for it, however, having recently gone through our annual monsoon season.

September 8, 2022 by Climate Photography

Monsoon Weather

Our usual summer monsoons are upon us. We have been having thundershowers in the area for a couple of weeks and the forecast is for that to continue through this coming weekend and perhaps beyond. Verna took the image above on Monday as we were coming home from picking up our new eyewear from the optometrist – the location is looking west toward the Arizona Outback just before we would be turning right at the signal. There was a large thunderstorm cell dumping a lot of rain in that area. Click on the image to enlarge.

Most of the monsoon cells manage to get around us, but not all of them. We had a magnificent lightning and thundershower event last week during the wee hours that woke us and freaked Cabela and Tucker (our dogs) out for about an hour or so. The storm dumped a lot of rain, but it quickly soaked in or ran off down the wash near our abode.

There has been enough rain near the headwaters of the Hassayampa River that there was some visible water flowing down the usually dry riverbed as we crossed the bridge on US 60 east of town this afternoon.

The image above shows the riverbed looking north. This is just a small amount of runoff since history shows the river during peaks with whitecaps and rapids when the monsoons really get going up toward the headwaters. The “raging” river has been known to overflow the banks and do significant damage to riverfront properties and motorhomes. Fortunately, that has not been the case (so far) this monsoon season. Click on the image (courtesy Verna) to enlarge.

August 10, 2022 by Arizona Climate Photography

Avalon 1998

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