Boy, it seems like Utah is definitely the land of surprises when it comes to weather --- and I thought Florida had crazy changeable weather.
Yesterday started off sunny and warm - a lovely 70 degrees. As the afternoon arrived, however, clouds began to appear behind the mountains. Shortly thereafter the wind picked up and before you know it, BOOM, a Dust Storm a "haboob" as it is better known here in the Southwest!
This is a crazy looking dust cloud that comes roaring over the mountains hiding everything from view! Crazy weird looking ...
As if the haboob wasn't enough, and the wind which left thousands without power for hours, when I came out of the store after work last evening, my car look like it had been "mud bombed." I guess the haboob dropped all that dusty mess on the car and then the rain began. I had heard people hear talk about raining mud...they were NOT kidding. I couldn't even see out of my windshield until I washed it. YUK
The upside of the weather change however, was the light snowfall (first of the year) in the mountains last night and this morning. The mountain tops on the taller peaks look as if they are coated with white lace...how lovely. The ski season here begins around Thanksgiving, and I know those skiers are about to have a fit to hit the powder! The weather here is constantly amazing me. I had never heard of "thunder snow" until moving here last year. I had only seen thunderstorms in the East where it was warm and they were a part of Summer as I was growing up. Thunder snow! Beautiful and amazing and slightly scary. Then there are the "dog days" of Summer where temperatures frequently soar above 100 degrees. The only redeeming feature there is that the humidity here is so LOW that when you stand in the shade it feels like 80!
Sometimes when I am snowshoeing in the Winter at about 7,500 to 8,000 feet the thermometer reads at 29, but the sun up high on the mountain feels so warm I end up wearing only a light jacket or sweater as I hike along.
Ah, Utah, land of beautiful scenery of so many varying amounts from the red rock of Moab in the South to the Wasatch here just North of Salt Lake City, and gorgeous Bear Lake (turquoise blue, incredibly deep) just South of the Idaho Border. So much to see, so much to experience. I am loving the West in spite of my calling to the Sea!
So as we head into our second winter here in Northwestern Utah, I expect there will be yet more surprises and beauty in our future. Life is never dull in Utah!
PEACE, LOVE & JOY,
Linda
Yesterday started off sunny and warm - a lovely 70 degrees. As the afternoon arrived, however, clouds began to appear behind the mountains. Shortly thereafter the wind picked up and before you know it, BOOM, a Dust Storm a "haboob" as it is better known here in the Southwest! This is a crazy looking dust cloud that comes roaring over the mountains hiding everything from view! Crazy weird looking ...
As if the haboob wasn't enough, and the wind which left thousands without power for hours, when I came out of the store after work last evening, my car look like it had been "mud bombed." I guess the haboob dropped all that dusty mess on the car and then the rain began. I had heard people hear talk about raining mud...they were NOT kidding. I couldn't even see out of my windshield until I washed it. YUK
The upside of the weather change however, was the light snowfall (first of the year) in the mountains last night and this morning. The mountain tops on the taller peaks look as if they are coated with white lace...how lovely. The ski season here begins around Thanksgiving, and I know those skiers are about to have a fit to hit the powder! The weather here is constantly amazing me. I had never heard of "thunder snow" until moving here last year. I had only seen thunderstorms in the East where it was warm and they were a part of Summer as I was growing up. Thunder snow! Beautiful and amazing and slightly scary. Then there are the "dog days" of Summer where temperatures frequently soar above 100 degrees. The only redeeming feature there is that the humidity here is so LOW that when you stand in the shade it feels like 80!
Sometimes when I am snowshoeing in the Winter at about 7,500 to 8,000 feet the thermometer reads at 29, but the sun up high on the mountain feels so warm I end up wearing only a light jacket or sweater as I hike along.
Ah, Utah, land of beautiful scenery of so many varying amounts from the red rock of Moab in the South to the Wasatch here just North of Salt Lake City, and gorgeous Bear Lake (turquoise blue, incredibly deep) just South of the Idaho Border. So much to see, so much to experience. I am loving the West in spite of my calling to the Sea!
So as we head into our second winter here in Northwestern Utah, I expect there will be yet more surprises and beauty in our future. Life is never dull in Utah!
PEACE, LOVE & JOY,
Linda
