An Arizona Moment

I spent the last few days on a short combination business/fun trip to Las Vegas (via Kingman, AZ and Laughlin, NV). Today, while on the return trip, and just outside of Kingman headed east on I-40, I ran into a quick (and what LOOKED like a rather weak) thunderstorm. The sun was shining all around, as it often does during an Arizona storm, and while I could see before I got to it that the rain was reaching the ground (it often doesn't, but evaporates before it can arrive at the ground), I really wasn't expecting much more than a few spots on the windshield and a renewed need to wash the vehicle. As I entered the stretch where it was raining, the temperature was about 108, and I watched my thermometer to see how much it would drop as I drove through the rain. The storm covered about 5 or maybe 8 miles of pavement, and as I got to the center of that stretch, the temperature had dropped 38 degrees, down to 70, all in the space of a few miles! I shut the refrigeration off, rolled down the windows, and breathed in the fresh fragrances of a desert storm, if only for a few moments. Then, just about the time I turned south onto US93 toward Phoenix, the temperature jumped (almost instantly, it seemed) back to 108 again, and kept going up from there over the following 150 miles. As a Phoenix resident, it's probably the last cool air I'll feel until about October 30th (around here anyway)! , Here at home today, the mercury hit 116, a new record for this date. It seems like our summer wet season has fizzled out for this year. But, no matter where you go on a road trip, there's usually always some kind of a treat in store, and TODAY, that was 5 miles of Arizona I-40 that for a short time was a cool and comfortable 70 degrees -- in August!

[PNW Judy]

Great description. Almost felt like I was right there with ya!

I live in the Pacific NW but just traveled down to New Mexico this summer. I experienced a few storms like that. We don't have those wild temp swings here and such localized storms so it was a new experience for me. However, two of the storms I was in were hailstorms giving me slight damage to my car. So I didn't find it as fun as you did. :-(

Yes, I've had that happen too! I got some hail damage to my radiator fins on I-25 in New Mexico while driving just south of Raton. That stretch of road is a magnet for all kinds of storms, but it is a very beautiful drive and one of my favorites. I never had the damage to the truck repaired -- the system seemed to work just fine with it so I left it alone! The storm yesterday was a baby though (comparatively) and I didn't see any hail.

[PNW Judy]

Yeah...I'm not bothering to get my damage repaired either. It's very minor. I did, however, buy a car-bra that covers the damage. And, hopefully, protect the car the next time I'm down that way. :-) Love the scenery in the SW, BTW.