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Posted on 05/31/2008 11:14:27 PM PDT by JustAmy
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L. J. I have it figured out...you have a funny bone in your brain! Isn’t that right?? LOL~~
LOL!!!
LJ and I both believe that laughter is good for the soul.......
LOL Exactly! Block and Tile becomes Black and Tall
There are tons of others locally but I’m too tired to think right now. That, and becasue I know my brain skews things, I’m careful about saying too many of them aloud lest they send the men in white suits and butterfly nets after me!
One of my coworkers’ brains runs on the same track. It makes for some hilarious conversations!
I go back and forth with L. J. all the time. I think she is one of the funniest people I have ever met~~I love her funniness and her funny, unusual posts! She is unique.
Yorkie, yes, laughter is GREAT for the soul. Doctors even say so. They say a couple of belly laughs a day is one of the best medicines. I believe it, don’t you? You’re funny too! I love funny!
When I heard that laughter lengthens life I decided it was a good deal and began learning jokes and thinking funny thoughts.
That’s right. Every eaten a Funny Bone? I swear they’re brain food.
Never have eaten a funny bone! Do chickens, cows or pigs have a funny bone~~LOL~~I eat chicken, steak and ham occasionally!
woo hoo
You made me lol really hard....hahaha.
There’s a guy made a career out of malapropisms... hilarious. His name is Norm Crosby. Heard of him?
Have a Peaceful and Restful Night, Dear FRiends.
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Oh, that is so true yorkie. But, y'know what's even better? Once you've made it past what popped up from 'round the corner, life goes back to being really good!
Getting any rain yet? It looks like Monsoon may actually be trying to start down here.
You are welcome on the songs.
I loved finding love songs:)
LOL
That post didn’t come out right.
Your 3000 was really cute, OESY.
No rain for over a month up here, Jinxy. We are so ready for the monsoons - (but I need some roof repair and shingle replacement before they get here.) LOL
You’d better get on it, then. They’re a’coming.
Actually, this is just the southern flow, so far. Mexico has some serious storms tonight, and we can see the lightning across the border, but it’s only sprinkling in areas on this side.
It’ll be a few more weeks before the northern half of the state gets its storms.
For those on this board that don’t know about ‘monsoons’, here is a little description:
Probably the most confusing and often debated weather event in Arizona is our so called “monsoon”. Just the word conjures up visions of torrential rains and widespread flooding followed by heat and drought. The drastic wet/dry combination is the example that most of us learned about in school. However, the monsoon actually occurs in varying degrees, and ours is marginal, just not as intense as those found in other parts of the world.
The word “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” which means “a season.” It was first used to describe the winds over the Arabian sea which blow from the northeast for six months and from the southwest for six months. Over the years, monsoon has been extended to include Europe, Africa and the western coasts of Chile and the United States.
Strong annual variations of temperature over land masses is the primary cause of the monsoon. This causes an excess of high pressure in the cold months and low pressure in the warm months. This deficit of pressure coupled with the storm track well to the north in the summer, allows the tropical moisture to literally be sucked northward toward the lower pressure in the low levels of the atmosphere. The end result is a shift in the winds over an area and enough moisture to trigger seasonal rains.
In Arizona, the process starts with the hot and dry weather of May and June. Usually, the winds are from a dry westerly direction, so humidity is low and temperatures soar above 100 degrees in the deserts. As the atmosphere warms, the jet stream retreats northward. this allows the winds to shift to a more southerly component and bring in the moisture. Most of our humid air comes from the Sea of Cortez, but a good portion also comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Once the moist air arrives, our strong summer sun heats the moist air causing the familiar thunderstorm (cumulonimbus) clouds.
Our monsoon is the most pronounced in southern Arizona and becomes more marginal over northern Arizona. The monsoon lasts longer in the south, usually beginning around the middle of June. In the Phoenix area, the moisture is usually here by the first or second week in July. The end of the hot and humid weather normally comes in the latter half of September state wide.
Statistically, we consider it a “monsoon day” when the average daily dew point is 55 degrees or higher. This can easily be measured and gives us a way of comparing one year to another.
Still not convinced? During the dry monsoon (April, May and June) we get only 6% of our normal yearly rainfall. During the wet monsoon (July, August and September) we get 32% of our normal yearly rainfall!
When Is Arizona’s Monsoon?
Up until 2008 Arizona’s monsoon varied from year to year in starting date and duration. The Arizona monsoon officially began after the third consecutive day of dew points above 55 degrees. On average this occurred around July 7 with the monsoon continuing for the next two months. In 2008 the National Weather Service decided to take the guesswork out of monsoon start and end dates. From now on June 15 will be the first day of the monsoon, and September 30 will be the last day. They did this simply to take the focus off whether or not a storm was considered a monsoon storm or not, and have people be more concerned with safety.
What Happens During Monsoon?
Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms. They can even spawn tornadoes, though that is very rare. Typically, Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high moving across the Valley. These dust storms are normally accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning often leading to heavy downpours. Monsoon rains average about 2-1/2”, about 1/3 of our yearly rainfall.
Is there Damage During Monsoon Storms?
Serious damage can occur from high winds, or from debris being tossed by those high winds. It is not unusual for trees to be downed, power lines to be damaged, and roof damage to occur. As you might imagine, homes that are not as sturdy, like some manufactured homes, are more susceptible to wind damage. Power outages for short periods of time are not uncommon.
What About the Roads?
When such high volume rain descends upon the Valley of the Sun, the ground and most especially the surface streets flood. Most roads in the area are not built to drain water quickly since such rain is too rare to justify the extra costs involved in constructing an elaborate drainage system. Quite often the rain pools on streets during and for a few hours after monsoon storms causing dangerous driving conditions.
The worst areas for flooding are the many washes in the area, small gullies where heavy rains drained off the land long before roads were built through them. That’s where drivers will normally encounter signs cautioning against crossing the road when flooded.
It may seem strange to have signs like like the one on the right posted in the middle of the desert, but they do serve a practical purpose. Those signs should be heeded carefully. Even if the water rushing across the road looks only an inch or two deep, it may very well be so deep that vehicles, including high clearance trucks, stall and get stuck in the wash. Firefighters and other rescue workers generally have to be called in to rescue motorists stuck in washes before their vehicles are covered by the unexpected deep runoff. Those rescuers are usually accompanied by television news helicopters capturing the rescue on videotape to be broadcast, sometimes live, as a warning to others.
That’s only the beginning of the humiliation trapped drivers face. In Arizona, under the so-called “Stupid Motorist Law”, municipalities and rescue agencies can charge people for the cost of being rescued if they fail to observe posted warnings.
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