HikeArizona.COM

The endless chatter of weather.

No, having been through the grasslands I don't expect it to be in the thick of it. Just like Alamosa, CO, you're in a rain shadow.

Yup.

you've heard of the "storm chaser" well I was the "snow chaser" in the Valley of the Sun. As I was driving home on the 101 heading west I could see an area to the NW that was getting just pummelled with snow. It was a great scene. So I headed up Cave Creek Rd and stopped at the dam to take photos. I even got beeped at. I don't know if it had something to do with the skirt and jacket I was wearing ;) or it was a "whoo hoo, she is taking pics and it's freezing out". It looks like the area being pummelled was somewhere around Lake Pleasant maybe?

Then as I was heading toward Cave Creek, you could see the snow storm whisking its way across Cave Creek. I decided to go as far as the Cave Creek Recreational area pay station and turn around. I did take a couple more photos of the snow capped something that I was seeing.

As I headed back toward Cave Creek I could see another snow storm heading toward the Seven Springs and Tonto Hills area. As I drove by Cave Creek I could see some light powder up on New River Mesa. Then as I was getting through Carefree I saw some more dusting on the mountains above Tonto Hills. As I was driving thru Carefree, there was still moisture left on the ground -- I presume from the snow flurries that passed thru only minutes earlier.

But then as I was coming up the hill toward the Tonto Recreational Area Ranger Station/turnoff to Bartlett I could see snow on that hill behind the Ruins and where that one hill has some sort of structure on it. I drove toward Bartlett Lake until it started going down hill and popped a couple pics. Then I headed back north on Cave Creek Rd past the golf course... and to the east, oh my gosh , snow covered mountains all over the place and some snow on the golf course. There were others like me out taking pictures.

I eventually turned around at the Camp Creek Falls TH and took some more photos and movies. I could also see the eastern Supes and Weavers Needle getting snowed on... well I couldn't see the snow but you could see that whoosh of the clouds dropping a fine white cover. As I got closer to Pima Rd, I could see a LOT more snow up on the New River Mesa. I never could see the Four Peaks due to cloud cover until I was back on Cave Creek Rd at about Jomax and then I saw them between the McDowells and Pinnacle Peak. Just beautiful they were; all capped in snow and the light was great. No photos though.

And now that I've used all of my frost cloth, my sheets and towels to cover my yard after getting home at 5:30, I can go look and see how the pics turned out. I did feel a sense of sadness though once I realized what mountains I was getting pictures of when I was up near the Tonto Hills looking east.

Film at 11:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VCcF25i3IU

Your roving Valley of the Sun "snow" reporter ut:

Hwy 366 (Swift Trail) that leads up into the Pinalenos was closed today due to heavy snow. They had the road blocked & a sheriff guarding it at the Coronado sign just before you go up. First time I have ever seen it closed this low due to snow! The sheriff told me that is had snowed a foot at Turkey Flat and 8 inches at Wet Canyon overnight but they hope to have it plowed and reopened by noon tomorrow. Safford had small flurries on & off all day today but nothing that stuck long.

Nice video Tibber - I especially like the title for Weaver's Needle in the "Superstion Mountains" ;-)

Actually, that area up by the Bartlett road is one of my favorite snow spots in the valley. I've seen 8+ inches of snow up there before and once drove under the powerlines back down to Pima and Dynamite. That's an amazing desert trip in that much snow. Lots of cactus for photo ops. I was disappointed we didn't get any accumulation up there this time.

I remember my first year living in AZ and my first hike up Camelback Mt. a day or so after some rain in the valley. I could see snow on Four Peaks. I had no idea the name of that mountain range, but I was totally impressed and enthralled by seeing snow in early Feb. while I was hiking in shorts and a t-shirts (and no water, like a total noob) in the upper 70's/lower 80's.

@tibber
I hope you weren't texting while taking the video while driving. :roll: That's good!

After all, we wouldn't want you to get in an accident... :stretch: The car you say?? Heck no, I'm not worried about the car, it's the scenic video that would have been messed up!

@chumley
Thx.
Pumpkin, I'll fix it. The title wasn't in the original video, I added it on youtube and obviously missed it. That's one great thing with Firefox, it has a spell checker on everywhere. I was trying to get the text smaller too but to no avail.
And yes, I was hoping to find more photo ops with the desert but it didn't pan out. I did get some good pics of some of the mountains in snow cover and I'll post a generic set this weekend.
@CannondaleKid nope, not a texter, just a "snow chaser" :GB:

Tell you what, Angela. I am driving to Apache Junction tomorrow. I would be glad to bring you a cooler full of snow. I would be happy to dump it on your front steps, so you can practice shoveling it (and hopefully not slip on it and fall on your keester!)

@azbackpackr
I grew up in Montana. In fact, it's -23 this morning in the town I was raised.
Ya I shoveled my share of snow and cleaned out a barn or two in the spring.
I prefer shoveling Phoenix sunshine. But thanks for the kind offer. ;)
It's just fun to see snow in or from an unexpected environment.

tibber wrote: I grew up in Montana.

That explains why you go to Glacier every summer.

A hard freeze warning is in effect for Tucson and environs.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=twc
It appears to have been in the 20s down there for several hours. That must be fairly noteworthy.

In Flagstaff, we have a Hard Promises warning in effect. The Waiting will be the hardest part.

tibber wrote:@azbackpackr
I grew up in Montana. In fact, it's -23 this morning in the town I was raised.
Ya I shoveled my share of snow and cleaned out a barn or two in the spring.
I prefer shoveling Phoenix sunshine. But thanks for the kind offer. ;)
It's just fun to see snow in or from an unexpected environment.

Well, I wouldn't want you to get out of practice shoveling!

You completely ignored my Tom Petty reference. How could you!?

I had 9 hours below freezing here in Tempe, from 11p to 8a ... but it only dropped to 27, which I was surprised about. I figured I'd get to the low 20s. I think it was 3 years ago when I recorded a low of 17! Brrr.

Nice storm chasing recount. I drove as far as I could at lunch yesterday lol.
Where else did it stick down here in the valley besides what I can see on the 4 Peaks webcam and Crown King?

Jim_H wrote:You completely ignored my Tom Petty reference. How could you!?

Who me? I'm not a Tom Petty fan at all, so I wouldn't have noticed.

azbackpackr wrote: I'm not a Tom Petty fan at all

Hmmmmmmmmm.... What artists might you have "grown up" with? Since you weren't the psychedelic VW bus type, Grateful Dead doesn't seem right... and all those years in Hawaii couldn't make anyone relate with Don Ho (Tiny Bubbles... Really!?)

Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Doors, later Beatles, some Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, Country Joe and the Fish, Janis Joplin, Cream, Neil Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc. So, a lot of late 60's San Francisco Sound, with some folk and Brits thrown in.

Of those, saw live in concert: Dead, Dylan, Hendrix, Doors, CSNY, S&G, and a few not mentioned, such as Iron Butterfly (sucked). I seriously regret never seeing my favorite band, and one of the most creative rock guitarists who ever lived, John Cippolina with Quicksilver.

I am not sure when Tom Petty got famous, but after Jimi and Morrison and Janis died, I kind of got into another scene. I still listened to Dylan, Joni and S&G for years, though. And in Hawaii, I learned to play slack key guitar like the locals and loved Beamer Brothers, Country Comfort, and other hapa-haole music. Don Ho type music is for tourists. Keola Beamer is still my favorite slack key guitarist. Look him up, you'll be amazed.

The first time I ever heard Tom Petty was long after he got famous. It was in the early 90's and I remember where I was working and asked my co-workers if it was Dylan. So they told me who it was. But I had long quit listening to the radio by then, except if it was on at work.

I still listen to that old SF sound. I also listen to old blues. And some new blues. My favorite guitarist who still gigs a lot is Jimmy Thackery. Look him up, you'll be amazed. I am mostly interested in guitar players.

It's so cold here, my apartment door has ice on the sill. It's metal.