(no subject)

[cactuswatcher]

Rain wouldn't be much of a topic for most of you, but here in the desert, it's news.

Last night we had one of the biggest, and heaviest summer rain storms Phoenix has had since I moved here. It certainly wasn't one of the most violent, but in terms of size for a summer storm here it was a big one. It's not often when I can watch the weather radar and see that it's raining hard at my house and at soulfulspike80's across town at the same time from the same storm cell. The same storm rained on masqthephslphr's parent's place, but it's so far away that area wasn't on screen in the radar picture as the leading edge of the storm was over my house. It probably wasn't raining quite as hard there then, but they'd had their share.

Most of the area got over an inch and a half of rain last night, which is only unusual in how widespread it was for this time of year.

Comments

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

It is a big topic here but more the other extreme. My place hasn't really dried out since Spring. Neat new fungi things though, and The Falls have been amazing this year.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/614943/970802

I thought that was a live cam but it looks like yesterday.

I am glad you got some! Will you have certain things that wait for that to bloom then?

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

whoops here we go:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/nwis/uv/?site_no=01357500&agency_cd=USGS

the cam link is off the page; but that graph is pretty neat too, and the large variation bewteen high and low. I am going to have to take Cole out and take a look see because that looks dry to a trickle which seems odd.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Those fluctuations are interesting.

It always rains some here, this time of year. The majority of plants bloom in May before the worst of the dry months (mid May to mid July). There are a few plants that bloom in late summer like my largest barrel cacti. Actually it's the huge native saguaro that likes these rains the most. They bloom in the spring, but store water now and grow the most in the fall when it's cooler, again.

[wisewoman.livejournal.com]

Well, this is of the good! Will it mean that the cacti will start doing interesting things now? Producing non-glue-stuck-on flowers, and the like?

;o)

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Other places roofs fall in from too much snow. Here last night, we had a grocery store roof fall in from rain, and it wasn't that much rain either.

[wisewoman.livejournal.com]

Oof! Sorry, that is definitely NOT of the good!

:o(

[soulfulspike80.livejournal.com]

Ahh, yes, the monsoon! I had to drive through the early part of the storm last night - not fun. But even worse, my mom was stranded at a Target parking lot for over three hours because the roads were so badly flooded.

She was coming home from a dinner with friends and first stopped at another restaurant for about an hour before heading out again. And then ended up at the Target. She tried to leave awhile later but had to turn back and then ran over something trying to get back to the parking lot (since she couldn't see anything). She didn't get home until after midnight. She's taking her car in tomorrow to get checked out, just in case something was damaged (since there was a very loud, not good-sounding noise when it happened). But it seems to be driving fine so hopefully all is well.

My backyard was a lake this morning. Standing water everywhere for the first time in the eight years I've been in the house. And some water came in my house, as well as my brother's and my mom's. And the parking lot at work was flooded out. Gotta love the monsoons!

[soulfulspike80.livejournal.com]

Most of the area got over an inch and a half of rain last night, which is only unusual in how widespread it was for this time of year.

I heard that a few areas got two to over three inches of rain last night. And that the average over the three month monsoon period is 2.6 inches - so some got more than that in one night!

Oh my!

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Yes, even running over a hidden curb could make a heck of a noise. None of us knows what its like driving with all the water in the streets till we move here and try to get somewhere when it's raining. I hope your mother's car is okay.

I was listening to the baseball game and watching the radar thinking, "You know it would be a good thing for all those people at the game if it went into extra innings." As it was it let out right in the middle of a heavy squall. I didn't hear too much except hwy 51 was a mess coming out of downtown.

When I moved, in my backyard was a lake every time it rained hard, with water standing a lot of places for a day or two sometimes. So part of putting in the cactus 'planters' was digging a path for the water to run out. My backyard was full of water Tuesday night and I had a little lapping on the patio, but nothing like it used to be. I only had one small puddle in the yard the next morning.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Yes, many of the rain totals reported went up from I saw them in the morning, yesday. That was some storm!

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

Those fluctuations are interesting.

I thought so too. Assuming a midnight to midnight time frame on each day, they don't seem to match the rainfall. I've sent an email to inquire about it.

It always rains some here, this time of year.

We have a fair amount of variance. This summer is tracking pretty close to what I remember of '95 if I have my years correct. Prior to that at least prior being 66-94, I was in and out of the area too much or not concerned with paying attention.

The majority of plants bloom in May before the worst of the dry months (mid May to mid July).

That is similar to most of the roses I grow. The season is short enough here compared to seed set that I am only saving hips from that May June bloom.

There are a few plants that bloom in late summer like my largest barrel cacti. Actually it's the huge native saguaro that likes these rains the most. They bloom in the spring, but store water now and grow the most in the fall when it's cooler, again.

Very interesting, CW. Thank you. I can especially appreciate the storing water part. I will have to see if can find some pictures.

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

Water on the Mohawk is intentionally diverted then to the Barge Canal at Lock 6.

Water on the Mohawk is diverted through Barge Canal at Lock 6.

http://mohawktowpath.homestead.com/
http://www.paulkeeslerbooks.com/NewErieCanal.html

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sending this.