David Blanchard

A band of thunderstorms with a shelf cloud is visible in the distance. In the foreground is a large sinkhole on the left and grasslands elsewhere.

Panorama of a band of convection with a shelf cloud moving across the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona. The depression on the left is Citadel Sink.

#azwx #weather #landscape 📷

A double rainbow in present. In the foreground the grasslands are brightly lit and a few isolated small trees are visible in the distance. 12mm focal length.

A segment of the rainbow is shown. The grasses and a fence in the foreground are brightly lit. A few isolated trees are in the middle distance. 35mm focal length.

Only a small segment of the rainbow is still present. The grasses and trees have subdued light on them. 85mm focal length.

Clouds in the west have blocked the bright light on the grasses but the base of the cloud is still lit up with sunset colors and a small rainbow fragment. 120mm focal length.

Some showers and thunderstorms produced a nice rainbow in the late afternoon. Looking across Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.

#landscape 📷 #rainbow #azwx #weather

Outflow winds measured at Sedona Airport: E28G37.

#azwx #weather

Radar depiction of convection driving a strong outflow boundary off the higher terrain and towards the southwest. A new fire (Woods Fire) will likely have a wind shift with the passage.

Watch Duty app showing the location of the Woods Fire near Village of Oak Creek, Arizona.

Webcam view of the Woods Fire near Village of Oak Creek, Arizona.

New fire near Village of Oak Creek, Arizona (SE of Sedona). Strong outflow from convection over the higher terrain is about to move across the fire.

#azwx #weather #wildfire

A small mesa with a few trees is in the foreground. The night sky with stars and a few meteors can be seen above the mesa.

Cropped view of a Perseid meteor that streaked from the bottom right to the top left.

With the Moon it was difficult to see any but the brightest Perseids (11-12 August)--but those we did see were magnificent.

Foreground image was captured at the start of the session.
Meteor images were stacked & aligned then composited with the foreground image taken earlier.

#astrophotography

Jupiter and Venus share the morning twilight sky. The two planets are the bright objects in the upper left. In the upper right is Orion.

Entry to Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Jupiter and Venus share the morning twilight sky. The two planets are the bright objects in the upper left. In the upper right is Orion. The photograph was taken on Mars Hill, home of Lowell Observatory, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷

Thanks! It's been a long-time favorite.

A runner is on the Arizona Trail surrounded by aspen trees and green ferns.

Did a trail run on the Arizona Trail north of Snowbowl Road yesterday. Early morning start ensured we would have cool temperatures. Also saw two bear cubs on the trail near where this photo was taken. Must assume mama bear was near.

#trailrunning #landscape 📷

Thank you!

Moonrise behind Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona. Location determined using The Photographers Ephemeris.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷 @photoephemeris.com

A 3x3 matrix of photographs * Monkshood * blackberries (not native; planted by early settlers) * Arizona sneezeweed and canyon walls * the 2nd set of narrows in the canyon * a young deer looking back at me * Arizona sneezeweed set against a natural amphitheater * wading through the water in the 1st set of narrows * lush vegetation in the canyon * upper end of the 1st narrows

Hiked up West Fork Oak Creek canyon yesterday. There were some wildflowers but underperforming this year owing to lack of rain. Once past the end of the maintained trail we saw only a few other hikers.

Even got in a little swimming in the deeper pools.

#landscape 📷 #wildflowers #slotcanyons

Very nice composition with multiple layers.

That’s the Bismarck Lake connector. Beautiful spot.

July rainfall totals from Flagstaff gauge network. Amounts in the city ranged from 0.39–2.48"; amounts in the hills and mountains were 0.79–3.27". Lots of variation over very short distances, especially near the airport.

July rainfall totals from Flagstaff gauge network. Amounts in the city ranged from 0.39–2.48"; amounts in the hills and mountains were 0.79–3.27". Lots of variation over very short distances, especially near the airport.

#azwx #weather

Glad you enjoyed your visit to Flagstaff. I get to see this every day!

Trail sign at the boundary of the Rogers Lake Natural Area located west of Flagstaff. The Rogers Trail climbs ~600' along the east side of Woody Mountain. This flat section has a nice mix of pine and oak trees.

A runner travels on the Rogers Trail located on Woody Mountain. A mix of pine and oak trees populates this flat section of the trail.

Three yellow columbine flowers are shown on a backdrop of green leaves. There were not many columbine flowers along the trail--I think the peak has already passed.

A cluster of yellow flowers. These arizona sneezeweeds were the most prolific wildflowers along the Schultz Creek Trail today. Also pictured is a gnophaela vermiculata moth.

A few photos from recent trail runs in the Flagstaff area. The first two are from Rogers Trail as it traverses Woody Mtn to the west of Flagstaff. The flowers are from Schultz Creek Trail north of Flagstaff.

#trailrunning #landscape 📷 #wildflowers

Image from the Kolb Studio webcam captured at 0659 MST this morning showing smoke filling the Grand Canyon. Most trails remain closed.

Map showing the perimeter of the Dragon Bravo fire burning on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona. The fire continues to exhibit extreme behavior owing to warm temperatures, breezy winds, and unseasonably low relative humidity.

Dragon Bravo fire continues to exhibit extreme fire behavior as it moves northeast across the Kaibab Plateau.

Image from webcam on the south rim of GCNP showing smoke filling the canyon shortly after sunrise.

Map of the fire...currently at 94k acres (38k hectares).

#wildfire #GrandCanyon

Some of the clouds have a more hook-like appearance at the top which means they might be cirrus uncinus:

cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/clouds-sp...

A band of cirrus floccus with trails of ice crystals moves across the Arizona sky. Some ponderosa trees are visible in the foreground at the bottom of the image.

Detail of the cirrus floccus and the trails/tails of ice crystals.

A tight telephoto image showing detail and structure of the trails of falling ice crystals from the cirrus floccus clouds above.

GOES-19 visible satellite image showing the bands of cirrus clouds aligned NNE-SSW over Arizona this morning (27 July 2025).

A band of cirrus moved overhead this morning producing this cirrus floccus with large virga trails of falling ice crystals (27 July 2025). Link to WMO cloud atlas:

cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/clouds-sp...

#azwx #weather

Great photo!

There is a small herd of elk along the left side of the lake.

Thanks!

A thin crescent Moon (2.1% illuminated) sets above Lake Mary near Flagstaff, Arizona (25 July 2025).

Each image is a composite: the first with tracking for the Moon; the second without tracking.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷 @photoephemeris.com

Just wish it would rain enough to get us out of "Very High" fire danger.

Thanks, Brian.

A segment of a rainbow between two trees. The rainbow also has supernumerary bows with repeating colors on the inside of the main bow.

Was only able to see a small segment of this rainbow because of the trees. Note the supernumerary bow with repeating colors present on the inside of the main bow.

#rainbow #azwx

A small patch of yellow columbines are located next to the Schultz Creek Trail near Flagstaff, Arizona.

A small cluster of of evening primrose is located next to the Schultz Creek Trail near Flagstaff, Arizona.

The turnaround spot for today's run on Schultz Creek Trail at its intersection with Swell Trail.

Today's run was along Schultz Creek Trail near Flagstaff. Flowers seen today included yellow columbine and evening primrose. The wild roses seen last week are gone.

#trailrunning #landscape 📷

Thanks!

Time lapse of the rocket exhaust plume.

Rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base this evening was visible in northern Arizona. Recent Starlink launches have been to the southeast; this flight was to the southwest and was lower in the sky.

Rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base this evening was visible in northern Arizona. Recent Starlink launches have been to the southeast; this flight was to the southwest and was lower in the sky.

Rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base this evening was visible in northern Arizona. Recent Starlink launches have been to the southeast; this flight was to the southwest and was lower in the sky.

Rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base this evening was visible in northern Arizona. Recent Starlink launches have been to the southeast; this flight was to the southwest and was lower in the sky.

Rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base this evening was visible in northern Arizona. Recent Starlink launches have been to the southeast; this flight was to the southwest and was lower in the sky.

#astrophotography #space #rockets