posted on July 31, 2005 01:12:05 PM
We've had rainstorms with thunder and lightning for the last 4 days, off and on, and again today it's coming down in buckets. We are very happy to have this rain in the Southern Calif. mountains.
posted on July 31, 2005 01:16:11 PM
EVERY afternoon here in NE FL, we get terrible tunder-boomers...poor ole Ralphie sits in his corner & just shakes to pieces...
How many covert heros has this slimeball murdered?
posted on July 31, 2005 02:01:41 PM
I've been watching your storms down there Roadsmith. Just hoping a little of it will funnel up this way. We've had some of it in the Sierras, but not out in the valley. S.D. and S.B. counties on both sides of you are under a severe thunderstorm warning. Be careful of the lightning associated with those thunderstorms. A group of scouts and their leaders got struck the other day just east of me in Sequoia Park. Two people were killed and several injured.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on July 31, 2005 02:14:57 PM
Roadsmith...Here's what it looks like if you go outside. These pictures are from the top of the Palm Springs ariel tram. This is a live link, and the pictures will update every few minutes:
posted on July 31, 2005 02:31:16 PM
What a great view! It's so humid here in Maryland, I wish it would storm - not as hot as last week though.
We lost 4 boy scout leaders at the jamboree up here last week - about 60 miles away at Ft. AP Hill. Scout leaders were putting up a tent, the pole fell and hit power lines, killing 4 leaders in front of a group of scouts. Then they had to have about 300 of them treated for heat stroke as well. Should be much cooler this week though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on July 31, 2005 02:51:19 PM
Rain?? I had forgotton what it was. We might get some in late September or October. We only get about 12 inches a year her in the Santa Maria Valley.
posted on July 31, 2005 04:31:55 PM
Great pix, Sparkz. If you were to hike down from the top of the tram about 8 miles into the forest, you'd be in Idyllwild.
And now they're predicting these storms will continue through NEXT weekend.
You should have seen all the outdoor diners at our restaurants scurrying for cover at 12:30 p.m. when the storm broke all of a sudden. We were eating indoors, and suddenly all these drenched people and waiters were coming in to set up tables.
posted on July 31, 2005 08:40:25 PM
Roadsmith...It's the monsoon season for Arizona, but the moisture decided to detour through California this year. The link below will take you to the NWS doppler radar image for Edwards Air Force Base. This is by far the best site for watching the severe storms as they approach, even though you are at just about the outer edge of its coverage. By clicking on the arrows in the upper left corner, you can switch to The Santa Ana Mountains site and from there to the San Diego site. Between the three, you can track the severe cells and tell if you are due for a sprinkle or a deluge. San Diego and Santa Ana will miss a few things in your neighborhood because of the mountains and their shielding effect, but Edwards can see just about anything as far south as Palm Springs. You won't see much tonight because it's calmed down quite a bit, but start clicking this link tomorrow about noon and see what develops. It will update about every 12 minutes:
posted on July 31, 2005 09:57:01 PM
It's hard to believe that Orange County is hot and dry. But then. . . I was in "downtown" Idyllwild this afternoon when the rain started; it was a real deluge. I ran to the car and drove about 1/2 mile up the street toward Fern Valley, a part of town we live in (edge of town) and like clockwork at Four Corners the rain turned into an Oregon-like drizzle. And at home, there were just a few drops coming down. All this in a 2-mile radius from center of town.
posted on July 31, 2005 10:07:54 PM
These desert thunderstorm cells can be very localized. You may receive 1 inch per hour while people on either side of you are having sand storms. What is really weird is to watch some of the activity in Arizona this time of year. It can be 115 degrees throughout Gila county, but the weather under a severe cell will only be 80 degrees and cover only a five mile radius. Just keep an eye on the radar. When you see a yellow or red spot headed toward Idllwilde, park your car out in the open and save 5 bucks at the car wash next week.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on August 1, 2005 02:51:39 AM
Right, Sparkz. We park our cars under the oak and sugar pine trees. One day last week my husband said he was going to wash the Subaru Forester and maybe that would bring rain, at last. A day later, it did.
The subsequent rains have washed the Prius, so we look all sparkly cute and new.
Caroline 
.