Word for the Day

[dancinghorse]

Haboob.

With picture here.

There was one in Arizona today:

BUSY MID-AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING TIME PERIOD ACROSS
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA WITH NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND DUST STORM
WARNINGS BEING ISSUED. THE BIG STORMS ON THE WEST SIDE OF TUCSON DID
SOME SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND SENT A HUGE OUTFLOW TOWARD PHOENIX WHICH
TURNED INTO AN HABOOB. ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN COCHISE
COUNTY PROMPTED ANOTHER DUST STORM WARNING TO BE ISSUED.

This was well north of us. We watched the huge storms brew up, turn blue-black, and head off west and north (where they uprooted trees and snapped power poles for the third day in the past four, and nailed the Interstate); then we had a very nice little storm of our own, little wind, lots of lightning and thunder, and a brief, refreshing downpour. It's damp and cool now, and intermittently windy.

And no, this is not normal for early June. Early July, yes. June is supposed to be hot, dry, and tranquil except for afternoon winds.

The winds we got last night--it was blowing so hard at bedtime that battening down the horses was Interesting. I saw two transformers blow off to the west, feared another well outage but for once that particular pole didn't go.

Not the Apocalypse, but a nice little taste.

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow on a variety of levels: wow, what a great word; wow, what a beautiful photograph; and *wow*, what a fascinating weather phenomena. (Crap. -na is the singular, right? Phenomenon is the plural? My brain has melted!)

[monder.livejournal.com]

For a moment looking at the weather warning and picture I was hit with the memory of the smells and taste of the storm rolling in. Gosh I never thought I'd miss it.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

I saw that on the news and worried. Glad to hear it didn't get to your place.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

-non singular, -na plural. ;) But hey, you knew enough to think about it and ASK. Which makes this grammar geek's heart sing! ;).

[raithen.livejournal.com]

you guys DO get the weather phenomena (;p) don't you? ;)

Glad to hear you escaped with a working well and intact roofs!

[windrose.livejournal.com]

AOL News had film footage of the event this morning. Simply amazing.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

$^&&%@! I knew I shoulda gone and looked it up before posting. Ding nib it!

[starfall42.livejournal.com]

The Republic has a great picture of the haboob here in Phoenix yesterday.

Today, we actually got rain for a few minutes. Love that wet desert smell.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

That was some footage, too. Really impressive.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Great picture! Thanks for the link.