Looks like a classic weather condition has set up that some years is entirely absent, in others visits once or twice, and some years stays for weeks. This time looks to be just be a quick couple days waning this weekend. A high over the four corners and a low well off the SC coast. That draws up Mexican Monsoon flow between the two that can present some unusual photography in the Eastern Sierra and Owens.
Posted by Cory Freeman on July 16, 2010 at 8:48 AM
yep, noticed a big plume of moisture moving in as I left work yesterday afternoon and it's completely cloudy and dripping with humidity right now. Check out the cam.
Great news! I'm planning some time in Arizona for the 'monsoon season'. Anything coming up from Mexico with moisture is what I want. Oh, and lightning, too.
So Cal got hammered Thursday. Small brush fires started from San Diego to Ventura County from hundreds of lightning strikes.Many were extinguished by the resulting downpours ( thank god ) . Today early in the morning it actually rained briefly in Long Beach, but the same development did not occur today it kinda fizzled in the afternoon. There was much activity up in the Owens and the Panamint Valley, Noaa is predicting one more day of monsoonal flow.
Paul
Posted by Cory Freeman on July 17, 2010 at 9:43 AM
we had some impressive tstorms roll through from 1230 to 1630, with the last storm producing some VERY intense lighting strikes in the tungstens; you know the kind of lightening bolts that are thick and pulsate for what seems like forever. The good thing was I didn't see any signs of a fire starting locally; lots of rain with these storms. I did see a bolt strike the ridge in bishop canyon above big trees cg and produce a bright orange light at it's base. I think it must've hit a tree and blew it up. This is the same area that has been struck and caused two fires over the last couple years. Got the binocs but didn't see any smoke. Doesn't look like it will do that today, at least not as intensely.
Yep looks like the main event was Friday. Made long drive over Sonora Pass to the eastside Friday evening. Starry skies but everything wet between 108/395 and 120/395 looking like pretty good rains occurred earlier. Gambled might be clouds at dawn over Mono Lake but by 5am were none so drove off to Plan B. By midday Saturday was still clear at Mono but saw modests storms south over Morrison/Bloody Mtn so drove down to Mammoth. Some modest storms all the way south past Bishop including over valley but little lightning. Late afternoon small cumulus at Mono Lake and just a few rain drops. Sunday high pushed in as predicted with skies clear. Any summer rains will keep lower elevations greener with longer lingering wildflowers. Sagebrush elevations below 8k are becoming rather brown and dry now.
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