When it rains in Phoenix...
Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:45 pmThe Phoenix Metro area is called "The valley of the Sun" both affectionately and officially not because of how hot it gets here but because of the number of days without rain... we get, on average, about 7" per year. Seven inches.... there are lots of places that get that much in a single storm! The lack of rain creates and provides for some interesting and often dangerous conditions. First of all, millenia of dry, hot weather has turned the soil into concrete (well... almost) so when it does rain, even a little bit, instead of soaking into the ground, it doesn't have anywhere to go so it just accumulates - and does so fast!
When a storm is forecast which has the possibility of dropping more than about 1/4", the weather alerts start. Overhead digital signs on freeways, all manner of media, etc. So when a storm rolls through that leaves an inch or so, it's the leading news story because of the flooding and damage that accompanies THAT much rain.
It takes days for the water to be absorbed - in fact, the evaporation rate is actually faster than the absorption rate!
Yesterday's storm brought almost 2" of rain to some parts of the valley in about 30 mins! It also brought record low temps - 30 degrees below normal which was a welcome change. Here are a few pics of what happens here when it rains like that.
South Scottsdale got 1.5"
A neighborhood just north of downtown got 1.98"
Park about 2 blocks from my house after just over an inch
ASU exit off freeway. Tempe got about 1.75"
When a storm is forecast which has the possibility of dropping more than about 1/4", the weather alerts start. Overhead digital signs on freeways, all manner of media, etc. So when a storm rolls through that leaves an inch or so, it's the leading news story because of the flooding and damage that accompanies THAT much rain.
It takes days for the water to be absorbed - in fact, the evaporation rate is actually faster than the absorption rate! Yesterday's storm brought almost 2" of rain to some parts of the valley in about 30 mins! It also brought record low temps - 30 degrees below normal which was a welcome change. Here are a few pics of what happens here when it rains like that.
South Scottsdale got 1.5"
A neighborhood just north of downtown got 1.98"
Park about 2 blocks from my house after just over an inch
ASU exit off freeway. Tempe got about 1.75"
