HikeArizona.COM

The endless chatter of weather.

As an aside, the mountains around Phoenix look absolutely awesome this afternoon. :GB:

It looks like the valley must have picked up some rain from the storm. It wasn't a total dud.

Salt is still very low, though.

Had some snow on the ground when I woke up this AM.

Plenty of snow on the Superstitions seems to have brought plenty of snowbirds/sightseers out of the woodwork.

azbackpackr wrote:Salt is still very low, though.

But the reservoir is in good shape. Will the golf courses be lush and green? Thats all that really matters.

The Salt & Verde resevoirs are 11% below this time last year. 87% full now vs 98% full at this time last year. We're still in good shape, but that's not a good trend.

johnlp wrote:The Salt & Verde resevoirs are 11% below this time last year. 87% full now vs 98% full at this time last year. We're still in good shape, but that's not a good trend.

Last year was really wet, this years is relatively dry, but still not too bad. It's cyclical, the Valley will be fine. Worry about the Colorado reservoirs at this point, not the SRP ones.

Tucson was SO pretty with all the snow on the ring ranges. All day I'm driving about town doing the whole "grown up and responsible" bit, dreaming of the mountains and those white snowy meadows... Sigh. Guess I'll have to wait for next year ;)

While looking into the crystal ball, NWS forecasters see another storm next week around this time. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Snow is all well and good, but it is more welcome after a couple of weeks without any. Plus, I greatly prefer it be like last week's storm and not this past storm. I would rather a wet storm with rain that turns to snow, and a high snow line around 7500-8000'.

I've seen so many pictures on HikeArizona.COM over the last 2 months that shows the desert being very dry for this time of year. Not good. My mom hikes in the Phx Mtn Preserve a few times each week, and she told me last week that many trails are in really bad shape because it's so dry that these trails are disintegrating because the soil isn't holding itself together. Of course, most of us who grew up in Arizona dance when it rains because that means more wildflowers, more water in the reservoirs, and fewer articles that evoke Jared Diamond's book "Collapse." I now live in a place that reminds me of Nova Scotia rather than the supposedly sunny and warm California that I thought I moved to!

Well, I could have told you California is cold and damp, unless you are well inland. But if you are well inland, you might as well be in Arizona.

The rivers are so low I have to say I'm hoping for a lot of snow, even though it's a pain in the neck to drive in it.

Rivers so low? You must mean in Arizona, not California. Our rivers don't seem so low, but then you probably are referring to the Salt/Black River System. That area hasn't had the precipitation that the western part of the state has had. I thought you told me you could use a warm, dry winter? Winter isn't over yet. It certainly was winter yesterday, even with he high near 50. Yesterday's low was -4. I wonder if we'll go below zero this month?

How was the skiing, Chumley? The snow in the back country was slop on my way down. It was nice going up, but lousy going down. It was almost like I hiked up in winter and down in spring. The ski run was really dense and hard to walk on. It usually isn't like that so soon after a storm.

It was a beautiful day, though as you said, I was surprised how quickly it warmed up. From -2F at 7am, it was 16 at 10am, and I think it topped out in the mid 30s up there. But the sun is incredible, and by mid-afternoon, the nice powder from Saturday/Sunday had melted some. Still some very nice powder in the trees, but out in the open, it had already gotten too warm. Not slushy, just heavier than that fresh morning powder. Today and beyond will be spring conditions, with a frozen morning crust and afternoon softness. I was very happy with the day. The morning sky was very clear and there were great views of the North Rim. Some thin clouds and haze reduced visibilities later in the day. Oh and Sedona looked stunning from I-17 too.

Yeah, Jim_H, I am watching the website that reports real-time flows for the Salt River, which I usually do a trip on every year. That is, the Upper Salt, above the dams. It is very low. Running 200 and below. At this moment, at 179. Not runnable. I had hoped to do a Salt trip over Spring Break, in addition to the not one but TWO Verde river trips I am going on.

There could be another storm Monday, but wind seems to be the big talking point and with the last storm as it was, I think the next one won't do much. It looks like we have moved into Spring, winter is over. I don't care what the solar season on the calendar say, it's spring. Long distance visibility was down the last few days, temps are warming, snow is melting, and wind is up, up, up. I would say so long winter, but January was pretty nice, winter was hardly really here but for a few days, and spring is not this area's best season. Then again, I am pretty tired of snow and cold.

Upper Salt still running under 200. Sigh... Not sure how much snow is locked up on Mt. Baldy, but I will keep watching the river data website.

The Peaks will get some snow Monday and Monday Night, but not so for town. The best the Peaks can expect is about 2 to 6 inches. It's spring, I think these nuisance storms will be the best we can hope for, even if I would rather not have them at all if they're like that.

I would say that Snowbowl probably has enough snow to last 5 more weeks, which takes them to the first full week in April and when the have usually closed up in the last few years, though they went to the second full week last year. I expect them to stay open until the 10th, but I wonder if they will get much business. People stop coming up when it gets warm in the Valley. I can't really believe we're now but a month away from them closing up and the snow melting away up there. Winter sure is going fast, but I am not upset by that.

We're getting some thunder sleet, round these parts.

The "Short Term Forecast" is calling for thunderstorms, hail, heavy snow, and 50mph winds, especially along the I-17 corridor between FLG and Munds Park. Sounds awesome!