David Blanchard

This will be a high-shear, low-CAPE event so there is a [small] threat of thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and even a tornado or two.

www.stormresearch.com/pubs/sls_200...

GOES018 Water Vapor image showing the upper-level low over the NE Pacific and the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla near Baja California.

GOES-18 Visible image showing the low-level circulation associated with former Hurricane Priscilla west of Baja California.

Water vapor image shows upper level low over the NE Pacific helping to guide the moisture associated with former Hurricane Priscilla towards the southwest US.

#weather

Models have been showing this major rain event for many days now. Rainfall amounts >2" are likely over the higher terrain. It will be interesting to see the measured maximum rainfall amounts. Some localized areas could see >4". Flooding and flash flooding is likely. This forecast graphic is from NOAA/Weather Prediction Center. BE SAFE!

Models have been showing this major rain event for many days now. Rainfall amounts >2" are likely over the higher terrain. It will be interesting to see the measured maximum rainfall amounts.

This forecast graphic is from NOAA/Weather Prediction Center.

BE SAFE!

#azwx #weather #arizona

Love Waterline Road on a bike at this time of year!

AMS paper that discusses the 06 October 2010 tornado outbreak.

Images taken with my semi-functional Sony RX100m5. The on-off switch is damaged and the camera turns itself on at random times. I don't know if it is repairable.

#sony

A runner on the Arizona Trail. Aspen trees are showing lots of color.

Two runners and a dog (with sun goggles!) on the Arizona Trail. Aspen trees are showing fall colors.

The Arizona Trail enters a grove of aspen trees showing fall colors.

A trail runner on the Arizona Trail entring a grove of aspen trees showing fall colors.

Today's group trail run was along the Arizona Trail between Snowbowl Road and Bismarck Lake. Some of the aspen groves are showing great color; others are still fully green.

#landscape 📷 #trailrunning

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) from wayyy too early Thursday morning with all the good comet colors in the coma, dust & ion tails—with that stretching 6° in the uncropped original. It should keep getting better over the next few weeks and finally make it's way to the evening sky. A more tolerable place.

Closeup of a flowering penstomen using flash fill to illuminate the shadowed side of the flower.

Closeup of a purple aster.

A cluster of white asters with a bright background.

A cluster of yellow goldenrod flowers.

Wildflower season is starting to fade away in northern Arizona. These were seen this morning on the Highland Trail south of Flagstaff, AZ.

#wildflowers #landscape 📷

A twilight rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base was easily visible from northern Arizona this evening.

Long after the rocket had reached orbit the rocket exhaust cloud continued to shine in the late twilight.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷 #rocket

A thunderstorm at sunset over northern Arizona. Light illuminates a portion of the top of the storm and rain can be seen falling.

A faint rainbow -- lasting only a few minutes.

Sunset colors and a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms and a rainbow from Saturday evening over northern Arizona.

#azwx #weather #rainbow

Beautiful fogbow!

Part 2...

Yesterday (25Sep2025) was a very active thunderstorm day across much of Arizona. Instead of chasing storms, I let them come to me while shooting images from my upstairs deck.

#azwx #lightning #nikon

This storm has both a TBSS (three body scatter signature) and side-lobe contamination. Large hail possible.

#azwx #weather

That was close!!! Less than 250 meters (bins are 250m x 0.5 deg).

#azwx #weather @radarscope.app

Tiny dew drops adorn a cluster of white asters. Behind the flowers are pine needles and a pine cone.

Yellow flowers (aster family) are covered in tiny dew drops.

A cluster of yellow and white flowers on the side of the trail.

A trail runner runs past wildflowers on the Highlands Trail south of Flagstaff. Sorry...too much camera blur.

Late-season wildflowers have been appearing in many locations including Highlands Trail just south of Flagstaff.

#landscape 📷 #trailrunning #wildflowers

Thank you.

Thanks!

Thank you.

A rainbow spans the sky from left to right. In the center is a gravel walking path.

Neighborhood rainbow--4 minutes before sunset.

#azwx #wxsky #landscape 📷

Thanks! It was just good luck that I caught this--I had no idea this would happen.

Great shot with the 747!

14+ years ago I saw STS-134 Endeavour (Mark Kelly, Commander) fly above northern Arizona and vent its tanks creating a frozen cloud of ice particles prior to reentry on its final flight.

More details on the image here:

www.dblanchard.net/blog/2011/05...

Wonderful photographs!

Congratulations!

It's rain falling from a fast moving cloud into slower moving sub-cloud layer resulting in the curved form. The rain has not yet reached the ground but will likely do so soon. Very short camera exposure based on grass in foreground. Nothing unusual but very beautiful.

Moonrise, Sunday evening, at Upper Lake Mary, Flagstaff, Arizona. The Moon is rising behind a tree-covered ridge and only a portion of the disk is visible. In the foreground, the bright light of the Moon is reflected in the waters of Upper Lake Mary.

Moonrise, Sunday evening, at Upper Lake Mary, Flagstaff, Arizona.

#Moon #landscape 📷

Thanks!

Sunset over Red Rock country in Arizona. A distant cloud to the west casts a long shadow that lands on the anvil remains of a dissipated thunderstorm. Cathedral Rock can be seen in the right hand side of the image.

Sunset over Red Rock country in Arizona. A distant cloud to the west casts a long shadow that lands on the anvil remains of a dissipated thunderstorm. Cathedral Rock can be seen in the right hand side of the image.

#azwx #weather #landscape 📷

Summer (Jun-Aug) precipitation rank compared to all summers since 1895.