Bark worse than Bite (tonight's sand wall)

[Susan Strom]

With a sand wall of this size, I was expecting a little more action behind it. A thunderstorm was there, 50dbz or so, but only so briefly. What do I expect with a 35 degree dewpoint. Monsoon in the Arizona Desert isn't for another 2 months yet. What does that 1930s song say? "I can dream can't I..."

The dust storm occurred about 1 hr 20 min ago. This is northeast of Scottsdale. I got a big facefull of hot sand when it passed over me.

By the way, normally, a prominent red mesa is in this view. It's hiding in the rolling cloud of sand.

 

[B Ozanne]

How often does that happen where you live?

When you see those photos of the leading edge of a sand storm they always look like the end of the world is coming.

 

[Doug Lee]

How fast did the storm move? Just my speculation, but I think the storm's outlfow was dry and warmed by compression, which accounts for the hot sand. If the stormwasmoving fast enough, it would re-ingest some of that dry air and reduce the potential for rain.

 

[Susan Strom]

How often does that happen where you live?

A haboob occurs several times per year routinely during summer monsoon. Tonight's was way early, April. Monsoon comes around in early July, with all kinds of severe weather, the main features being dust storms, severe thunderstorms with blowing sand, intense lightning, high winds even to 100mph gusts, torrents of rain, and flash flooding.

Whenever there are severe thunderstorms out & about in the Arizona Desert, a haboob is sure to form as the thunderstorm core fans out the sand wall in all directions. Therefore, I can generally trust the sand storm, that it will precede a good chase. The 50dbz thunderstorm behind it did indeed happen, but it was rapid fire event then it was out of here. Very early in the year for storms with sticking power anyway.

 

[Susan Strom]

How fast did the storm move? Just my speculation, but I think the storm's outlfow was dry and warmed by compression, which accounts for the hot sand. If the stormwasmoving fast enough, it would re-ingest some of that dry air and reduce the potential for rain.

Looked to me that this one was coming in about 15-20 mph, just a guess. It was about 95 degrees today, but you are right, the sand wall is always hotter when it comes over you.

 

[Susan Strom]

btw I hope I didn't offend by posting my sand wall in W & C because it happened tonight. I just didn't think that a sand wall warranted making a full thunderstorm chase report about it (thunderstorm was not severe and not chaseable). 'Tis ok?