The Weather is Crazy

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:52 am

It took me twice as long as usual to get to work this morning, and now I heard that the Coke truck is stuck in our back parking lot.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:47 am

Getting pounded in Tucson right now. Yard totally flooded in 3 minutes.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:11 am

My dad who lives in the ev in Phoenix said he's had 2.13 inches of rain in 8 hours. One rain gauge in Chandler says it's had 5 inches in about 12 hours.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:19 am

Hardest rain ever in Phoenix according to some news station.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:22 am

I10/43rd in PHX

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:30 am

Salty wrote:Hardest rain ever in Phoenix according to some news station.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported 3.06 inches of rain since midnight, breaking the record for the date of 2.91 inches, Ken Waters of the National Weather Service said.

It marked the wettest day on record for Phoenix since record keeping began in 1895, Waters said, and that record was expected to grow with more rain in the forecast through Monday evening.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:32 am

well we definitely need the rain that's for sure. too bad central california can't get rain like this

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:37 am

scumdevils86 wrote:well we definitely need the rain that's for sure. too bad central california can't get rain like this

I thought Cali was getting a fair amount?

I'm not complaining. This is great for AZ.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:40 am

Salty wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well we definitely need the rain that's for sure. too bad central california can't get rain like this
I thought Cali was getting a fair amount?

I'm not complaining. This is great for AZ.

Only in the Imperial Valley. Nothing coastal or north, yet anyway.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:41 am

Salty wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well we definitely need the rain that's for sure. too bad central california can't get rain like this
I thought Cali was getting a fair amount?

I'm not complaining. This is great for AZ.

well I mean central California is in one of the greatest droughts in its history and like half of our produce is farmed there so they definitely need it.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:49 am

scumdevils86 wrote:
Salty wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well we definitely need the rain that's for sure. too bad central california can't get rain like this
I thought Cali was getting a fair amount?

I'm not complaining. This is great for AZ.
well I mean central California is in one of the greatest droughts in its history and like half of our produce is farmed there so they definitely need it.

Rain here will definitely benefit the entire US. That mite devastated the FL citrus industry, so next time you want a glass of orange juice see where it comes from.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:01 am

This rain will not do much for a drought. Deluges of rain are not effective, causing flooding, devastation and the like. The normal precipitation patterns throughout the year are what's needed, and those are nearly gone.

For the rest of our lives we will hear terms like "unprecedented" and "record breaking" and "unbelievable" in regards to weather. It's crazy how messed up the environments for humans are.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:19 am

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport set an all-time wettest calendar-day record, picking up 3.29 inches of rain since midnight as of 8:56 a.m. MST., breaking the previous record set 75 years ago. This is more than the average rainfall in July, August, and September, combined (2.69 inches), encompassing a typical summer rainy season, there.

According to NOAA's precipitation frequency estimate, this heavy a precipitation event in a six-hour time period has only a 0.002 percent chance of occurring in any given year.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:22 am

My favorite photo of the rain in PHX this morning as found on AZCentral.com:

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:28 am

Olsondogg wrote:This rain will not do much for a drought. Deluges of rain are not effective, causing flooding, devastation and the like.

You're right, unless they happen over reservoirs, natural lakes, or mountain areas where it can be locked up as snow or slowly work their way into the river systems. Which pretty accurately describes the water basins of Central California.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:31 am

Chicat wrote:
Olsondogg wrote:This rain will not do much for a drought. Deluges of rain are not effective, causing flooding, devastation and the like.
You're right, unless they happen over reservoirs, natural lakes, or mountain areas where it can be locked up as snow or slowly work their way into the river systems. Which pretty accurately describes the water basins of Central California.

I was mostly speaking for AZ. In about 2 days we will read a report title "Arizona still in a drought" and people will be confused.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:32 am

Olsondogg wrote:
Chicat wrote:
Olsondogg wrote:This rain will not do much for a drought. Deluges of rain are not effective, causing flooding, devastation and the like.
You're right, unless they happen over reservoirs, natural lakes, or mountain areas where it can be locked up as snow or slowly work their way into the river systems. Which pretty accurately describes the water basins of Central California.
I was mostly speaking for AZ. In about 2 days we will read a report title "Arizona still in a drought" and people will be confused.

True. The hope in Arizona I would think is that at least some of the water will make its way to the aquifer. Not sure what the likelihood is of that or how much would actually make it though.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:33 am

All I know is that I'm not watering my lawn again until November.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:32 am

Chicat wrote:
Olsondogg wrote:
Chicat wrote:
Olsondogg wrote:This rain will not do much for a drought. Deluges of rain are not effective, causing flooding, devastation and the like.
You're right, unless they happen over reservoirs, natural lakes, or mountain areas where it can be locked up as snow or slowly work their way into the river systems. Which pretty accurately describes the water basins of Central California.
I was mostly speaking for AZ. In about 2 days we will read a report title "Arizona still in a drought" and people will be confused.
True. The hope in Arizona I would think is that at least some of the water will make its way to the aquifer. Not sure what the likelihood is of that or how much would actually make it though.

The impact is minimal. The hope is for winter storms to build up the snow base up north. I guess Tucson relying more heavily on groundwater will have a bigger impact by rainwater.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:35 am

that's what we really need next...is a very wet winter with a ton of snowfall up north. that would help a lot.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:53 am

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:07 pm

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc ... /15272279/

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:45 pm

Flooding in Tucson results in 1 death, multiple rescues, closed classes

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/2647 ... ed-in-wash

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

One person is dead after being trapped in a vehicle that became stranded in a running wash on Tucson's east side Monday morning.

Tucson Fire Department personnel had to wait for the water to recede before retrieving the body from the vehicle, which was stranded in a wash near East 22nd Street and South Kolb Road.

Heavy downpours caused washes across Tucson to run and kept emergency crews busy throughout the morning, rescuing stranded motorists.

Rural/Metro Fire crews rescued one person from a vehicle that attempted to cross running water on River Road east of Pontatoc.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department posted a tweet on Twitter warning motorists on Catalina Highway use caution due to possible rock slides on Mt. Lemmon.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:22 pm

picture i took about an hour ago of the rillito

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:37 pm

During a flash flood I always think "why do these idiots drive into water?"
Then I remember commercials like these:

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:35 pm

I'm concerned about my ability to cross the Rillito to get home.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:37 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:I'm concerned about my ability to cross the Rillito to get home.

do you normally go into the river bed and walk across? if not, you're fine. it's just a regular flowing river now.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:50 pm

Camino De la Tierra has been getting flooded quite a bit the last few weeks. Not sure where else anyone crosses the Rillito anymore.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:52 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:I'm concerned about my ability to cross the Rillito to get home.
do you normally go into the river bed and walk across? if not, you're fine. it's just a regular flowing river now.

Sweet. Some of the photos, etc I saw on Facebook had me concerned earlier.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:55 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:I'm concerned about my ability to cross the Rillito to get home.

It was closed this morning. Water was almost up the the bridge:

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:10 pm

2 people have died in washes today in the Tucson area...

https://www.azpm.org/p/home-featured/20 ... -flooding/

Pretty serious flows.

Catintheheat · Post by **Catintheheat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:56 pm

Everything was going fine all the way to work. No traffic jams for the first 24 miles, even though the flow of traffic was a little slower. But the last mile ended up being a nightmare. I exited off the 101 on Price Rd, in Chandler, and right under the loop 202 overpass I drove through a mudslide. It wasn't that bad but found my tires spinning a little bit. Under 1/4 mile to go and 10 minutes early all I had to do was make a left turn and I was there. But the north bound lane on Price Rd was a river. About 5 cars were stuck on that side of the road all the way to the next light (back way to work). It took me 40 minutes to go around the block on Germann and Dobson. The left lane was bumper to bumper all the way, and the stupid light at Dobson was a short one, only allowing about 2 cars to turn at each left turn signal.

Then I took a risk and made a mistake. I turned off Dobson and into the neighborhood as a shortcut to avoid the traffic snarl. All of a sudden I came up to an intersection where I had to drive through 3 feet of water. Like an idiot I tried it and made it, lucky as hell my truck didn't stall. After that I made it to work.

What an adventure! I was still shaking a little when I got ready for work.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:03 pm

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:14 pm

sweet!!

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:29 am

Drove through about 4 feet of water in my truck today.

Never seen the rivers flowing like they were today.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:40 am

Your storm is heading our way and is forecast to be a "land hurricane". Similar precipitation, barometric pressure, wind fields, etc. Calling for 4-7 inches of rain, embedded tornadoes, and sustained tropical storm force winds.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:53 am

And yet not a drop where it is needed most. Can't Obama tune his HAARP device to send some rain out here?

Don't think we have had anything more than a trace since March. Which is completely normal of course, but with such an abnormal weather year you think something would change out here.

But, if it's not going to rain, might as well be nice. I am still wearing shorts (cargo, no jorts) to work.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:05 am

Merkin wrote:And yet not a drop where it is needed most. Can't Obama tune his HAARP device to send some rain out here?

Don't think we have had anything more than a trace since March. Which is completely normal of course, but with such an abnormal weather year you think something would change out here.

But, if it's not going to rain, might as well be nice. I am still wearing shorts (cargo, no jorts) to work.

We've already received too much rain this Spring/Summer. Midway airport had 7 inches more rain than normal in August. And this is after the 3rd snowiest Winter in history.

To give you some perspective, the water level of Lake Michigan is 18 inches above where it was at this time last year. So unfortunately this latest batch of rain has nowhere to go. We are going to probably have some really major flooding. Praying my basement stays dry.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:07 am

Chicat wrote:
Merkin wrote:And yet not a drop where it is needed most. Can't Obama tune his HAARP device to send some rain out here?

Don't think we have had anything more than a trace since March. Which is completely normal of course, but with such an abnormal weather year you think something would change out here.

But, if it's not going to rain, might as well be nice. I am still wearing shorts (cargo, no jorts) to work.

We've already received too much rain this Spring/Summer. Midway airport had 7 inches more rain than normal in August. And this is after the 3rd snowiest Winter in history.

To give you some perspective, the water level of Lake Michigan is 18 inches above where it was at this time last year. So unfortunately this latest batch of rain has nowhere to go. We are going to probably have some really major flooding. Praying my basement stays dry.

god...all that is what needs to happen here. with all the lakes and reservoirs and rivers running dry and at historic lows it would be amazing to read about them actually being over their historically normal levels.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:58 pm

So uh...

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:06 pm

Oh goodie. I just got everything dry from last week.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:00 pm

So hurricane odile is about to make landfall in cabo. Apparently it's possibly the strongest eastern Pacific/Mexican hurricane in history. Going to be even more rain than last week in Arizona from Tuesday night to midday Thursday. Phoenix will probably end up having over a year's worth of rain in 10 days.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:11 pm

Category 4 hurricane right now. Atmospheric pressure in the storm is lower than hurricane Andrew was back in the day. Going to be a lot worse than last Monday.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:19 pm

Yep....prepare for floods again

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:53 am

As long as the rain is steady and not blowing around with high winds, I'm good with it.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:39 am

the real dill · Post by **the real dill** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:17 pm

Lake Cachuma, the primary source of drinking water in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and other cities along California's Central Coast, has dropped 50 feet and is at 35% capacity Photo:
By Nick Allen, Montecito

3:30PM BST 13 Sep 2014

Nestled under the Santa Ynez mountains and cooled by the Pacific Ocean breeze, the billionaires' bolt hole of Montecito, California, seems at first glance like a palm tree-strewn idyll.

Here, in one of America's wealthiest post codes, celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas, Rob Lowe, Kevin Costner and Ellen DeGeneres live alongside CEOs too numerous to mention in some of the world's biggest and most outlandish homes.

But look a little closer and it is soon apparent there is trouble in this paradise: not even the likes of Miss Winfrey, it seems, can make it rain.

As California endures what the state's governor Jerry Brown has called a drought of "epochal" proportions, lawns everywhere - including one at a five-acre property owned by the chat show queen - are scorched and gone to seed.

A polo field also lies unwatered and, according to locals, some owners of $10 million (£6.2 million) homes are eating off paper plates to avoid using their dishwashers.

In February the Montecito Water District imposed savage cuts on more than 10,000 residents. It announced overall water use would have to fall by 30 per cent or the town would run out in months. Big users saw their water allocation cut by up to 90 per cent.

Some residents continued to splurge water from sprinklers so the district levied millions of dollars in fines, eventually threatening to cut off completely those who have been hogging too much water.

In a desperate bid to save their manicured lawns and towering topiary, some of Montecito's multi-millionaires have since been trying to out-spend nature by buying water in from outside.

The home of Tom Cruise in Montecito, California

Each morning at the crack of dawn, trucks laden with precious H₂O trundle down lanes towards parched estates.

The buyers are paying up to $80 (£49) a unit - a unit is 748 gallons - for water that normally costs a maximum of $6.86 (£4.23) a unit from the water district.

The trucks are now a common sight in Montecito, passing by Sotheby's International Realty and an haute couture clothes store. But the origin of the water is something of a mystery.

"I see the trucks every day. They're like big gas trucks with a water sign on," said Tori Delgado, who works in the Montecito wine and cheese shop. "But nobody knows where they're getting it from."

The water is likely being sold by private individuals elsewhere in California who have wells on their properties.

But wherever it comes from the buyers appear to be staving off the inevitable only temporarily, and many millionaires are turning to conservation instead. Miss Winfrey is prominent among them.

"Two months ago she just said, 'Turn off the water', and now there's not a green blade of grass on that lawn," a resident who has seen her parched garden told the Telegraph.

At Miss Winfrey's second and larger Montecito estate - an $85 million affair called Promised Land - the grass is still green but the water bill has also fallen dramatically.

The Montecito Water District has so far banned the watering of gardens in the middle of the day, filling swimming pools at any time, and the building of new homes.

Meanwhile scores of angry residents have lodged appeals for more water. One asked for a supply to save 300 specimen trees - but was told the trees would have to die.

Tom Mosby, general manager of Montecito Water District, said: "People come to us and say 'We want to build a swimming pool' and we say 'No'. If it doesn't rain next year the state's going to go dry. We are talking about a disaster movie in the making."

Lake Cachuma, the primary source of drinking water in Santa Barbara

About 80 per cent of Montecito's water currently comes from Lake Cachuma, a once mighty reservoir 30 minutes drive away. Like many California reservoirs it is now surrounded by a giant white "bath tub ring". Cachuma is more than two thirds empty.

Some are now adhering to Governor Brown's call for people to flush the toilet less often. John Braid, 83, said: "I do that. Leave it for a day. You're just wasting water."

The drastic measures appear to be working. In August overall water use was down by 50 per cent on the same month last year.

That is largely due to the efforts of Montecitans like Larry Reiche whose allocation from the water district was cut by 60 per cent in February.

Mr Reiche spent $200,000 "drought proofing" his exquisite home on a hill overlooking the ocean.

He ripped up 3,500 sq ft of lawn and replaced it with artificial turf, pulled out a dozen palm trees and turned off his fountains. Thirsty plants were replaced with cacti. Showers are down to five minutes. He also used infrared technology to find a leaking pipe.

Looking out at the beautiful, but increasingly brown, vista below, Mr Reiche said: "It doesn't matter how much money you have, if you run out of water you're screwed. It's a great leveller.

"Gone are the days in California when you could throw water around. This is a desert and people have to realise if we run out of water it's going to return to desert."

Pat Nesbitt, who owns a 71-acre estate including a polo field, had his water allocation cut by 90 per cent. If he continued to use water at the same rate he was facing fines of $140,000 in a single month.

"We cut back. We don't water anything any more," he said. "The polo field is brown. We are still able to play but it doesn't play as good."

Several million dollars of landscaping has also not been watered. Mr Nesbitt accused the water district of "incompetence," adding: "If they had done something before, we wouldn't be facing these draconian restrictions."

He trucked water in once but is now drilling his own well instead. Dozens of other Montecito residents have also applied to drill wells, which can cost up to $100,000 - and could eventually cause to the subterranean aquifers beneath their feet to run dry.

Mr Nesbitt said: "I'm getting five gallons a minute, eight hours a day out of it at the moment. Not much. Pray for rain, that's the only solution."

On the street near Miss Winfrey's favorite restaurant, Trattoria Mollie, the talk is of little but the drought.

There are rumours of people sending laundry out of town to avoid water fines. Some residents are said to have painted their lawns green.

According to one story a resident's poodle turned green after rolling in the paint.

"We don't like the water trucks because they destroy our roads," one woman complained. "My lawn's brown but we just have to pray for rain."

Meanwhile, a local newspaper advised residents not to waste water taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge. "Think about how to re-use water," it said. "Take a bucket's worth from the pool and have it dumped on you in the pool."

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:43 pm

all this rain i missing central california by just a few hundred miles. if the hurricanes had just gone a little bit left, they would getting probably 10 inches of rain in a week and a half.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:49 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:Yep....prepare for floods again

the real dill · Post by **the real dill** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:52 pm

Merkin wrote:

Storm surge got real

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