2/20/2013

Today In. . . Wait, That's Arizona?

Something you don't see everyday, or even every year, in the Phoenix Metro area:

photo from KTAR, via Laughing Squid

Snow.  This is the 101 Freeway, near Indian Bend Road in Scottsdale.  It's actually not snow, it's "grauple", which sounds like something in a frat party's punch bowl mixed up from ingredients on hand, but is really a slushy mix of snow, hail and rain, but close enough to snow for these parts.

Scottsdale is in the northeastern part of Phoenix Metro.  Where we live, in north Glendale on the west side of town, we didn't get the grauple, only rain and a brief shower of pea-sized hail.  We were close to the site of the above photo this morning, driving thru rain to a doctor's appointment, but finished and got home before the weird stuff started falling.

The extra-weird part is the wild swing in weather within 24 hours.  Yesterday was shirt-sleeves and shorts weather, in the 70's.

One more picture.  Over at the edge of the southeast Phoenix Metro area, near where my mom and brothers live, are the Superstition Mountains of Lost Dutchman's Gold fame.  They're dramatic-looking things on ordinary days, but having snowfall gives them an additional snap.


photo by Steve Gotthart, via abc15.com

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