Approaching Haboob by junge1

Photography • Landscape • posted on Jun 16, 2012

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Description

Got itchy today and went on a spur of the moment drive. These drives usually go for 300-400 miles. Wanted to check the gas mileage of my new (or nearly new) car and see how the chances were for some rain. Our monsoon season (yes they call it a 'Monsoon Season' now and it last from 15 June until 30 September, rain or no rain. Up to about two years ago the monsoon started when we had three consecutive days with a dew point of 55F or higher. Went to Globe and checked out the sky to the East. There were some build-ups in the distance. Radar and satellite imagery shows some precipitation in West Texas, New Mexico and over Old Mexico. From Globe I went south to San Manuel and saw a lot of build-up over the Catalina Mountains near Tucson. Got into some very heavy rain, the temperature dropped from 102F (39C) to 63F (17C) just like that and I was worried about my windshield. A couple of times the visibility went to zero. I couldn't have pulled over if I had wanted to. Luckily, this lasted only a few seconds. On the way back to Phoenix (about 100 miles from Catalina) I realized that the wind started to blow and clouds of dust developed. I was going with the wind, along the Pinal Pioneer Parkway. By the time I got to Florence the wind caught up with me. Signs were blown about and I was worried about the paint job of the car. Stopped for a while before I continued. Changed the way I came back to Phoenix to minimize blowing sand damage to the paint job. By the time I reached Phoenix the sun was out, temperature was 107F, but the dust warning and visibility signs were up on the freeways. By the time I came home, on the West side of Phoenix I took this picture (two frame pano) of the approaching dust storm. This is looking toward the South, but dust was to the East, Southeast and spreading toward the north also. These dust clouds are several 1000 feet high and are the result of the storms down in Tucson. It is the outflow of Cumulonimbus clouds and it took the dust cloud about two hours to make the 100 miles. For the last two years or so they are now called 'Haboob' (Arabic for Strong Wind), before that they were just dust storms. This picture was taken on 16 June 2012 at 6:44PM, Sig...

Comments (42)

willdial

11:24PM | Sat, 16 June 2012

Cool photo. I saw this one when I was heading south on the 51 freeway. I was able to make it home just when it hit.

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jocko500

11:25PM | Sat, 16 June 2012

lol lot of things to think about. wonderful image

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Faemike55

11:42PM | Sat, 16 June 2012

Great photo - I would just call this nasty winds and let it go at that Glad you were able to make it home safely and with minimal damage, if any, to your car and you

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Minda

11:47PM | Sat, 16 June 2012

very beautiful photo sig,amazing capture...

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bmac62

11:52PM | Sat, 16 June 2012

Some radically changing weather...I vividly recall my two years in the Mohave...next to no precipitation...but lots of wind/dust storms, oops I mean Haboobs:) Well done Sig...and sounds like you are really enjoying your new car!

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auntietk

12:08AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

That's quite a cloud! I'm sure you zipped that little beauty into the garage after you took this picture. :P Mid-60s and rain here. Come on up!

bebert

1:39AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

IMPRESSIONNANT !!

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0rest4wicked

1:48AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Used to live on Betheny home road in Phoenix, not so much a Monsoon meca. When I lived in Tucson you could just about set your watch by them. The mass of clouds would consume the Santa Rita Mountains and by five the downpour would begin. Always tried to be home by then. :~) Hope you have a garage to put that new car in!

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jayfar

2:01AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

That was some drive and a great story. I flew out of Phoenix a year ago May to come home to the UK. Nice pic.

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bobrgallegos

2:14AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Great photo of this changing weather and very interesting narrative!!

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bazza

2:39AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Nice capture Sig is that your car? Yep some strange weather pattens now they should stop the chemtrails what's that doing to the weather?

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crunch01

3:09AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

hey I would not have my Saleen Stang out of the garage with that much sand coming get that magnificent Beemer Z in the Garage!! :o) great photo

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farmerC

3:23AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Splendid shot.

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junge1

4:18AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Thats a tempting offer Tara. I sure enjoyed using the windshield wipers, it rained just a little too hard. Going along in the right lane (everybody about 30mph) I almost made a right turn. Hit a puddle that just about ripped the steering wheel out of my hand. Luckily for me it was a small puddle. We haven't had rain for so long that I forgot all the pitfalls of heavy precip.

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junge1

4:21AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Yes this is my Z and yes, the wind hit just when I pulled into the garage and closed the door. Normally I leave the garage door open a crack in the hope for it cool. Doesn't make any difference, in the afternoon the temp in the garage is 108F (~42C) and in the morning the temp is 95F (35C). It is a battery killer!

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lyron

4:23AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Fantastic image!!!

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junge1

4:32AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

I averaged 36.1 mpg going to Globe and Tucson (with about 36 miles on that tank before I left - not enough to top off and 40.5 mpg coming back up from Tucson going 75-80 but with the wind blowing in the general direction I was traveling. When I came into Phoenix, the sun was shining through diffused haze and all the traffic signs on the freeway were lit up warning of a duststorm and poor visibilty.

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junge1

4:37AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

The high temperatures in the garage are battery killers. I got 3 1/2 years out of my last two car batteries on the BMWs and only 2 years out of the Yaris. It should be interesting how much a new battery for this car will cost, it stores energy generated from braking (similar to the KERS system on Formula 1 race cars). This energy allows the engine to shot off when coming to a complete stop and the load on the battery is not too heavy. It saves gas.

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junge1

4:46AM | Sun, 17 June 2012

Checked the 24 hour water vapor loop on the satellite and that storm showed up mid afternoon.

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