Wicked Weather

January 22, 2010
The morning CoCoRaHs rainfall reading was 1.40" bringing the running storm total to 5.97". Another band of rain moved in after midnight and at 4 AM a large band hit hard bringing heavy showers through 6 AM. Two more heavy bands moved in through out the morning. Another larger band moved in for showers from 11 AM till around 2:30 PM. It was at that point the sky grew wicked looking.



A band of convective moisture formed up over the channel islands and as it made land fall in LA county, the intensity became apparent. To the west, the sky grew blackish on the line from Catalina to LA county with rain falling and embedded lightning. At 3:40 PM I spotted what appeared to be a wall cloud (it wasn't I think) hanging from the base of one of the cells just SE of a column of rain. Low scud was also appearing under the front of the line of cells with heavy rain just behind.





Once it reached my location, the was marble sized hail, heavy rain and lightning. After talking with the NWS in San Diego and making a spotter report for the hail and lightning, I stayed on the north side of the canyon in the Yorba Linda area as the band moved through.



By 5:30 PM the rain band had moved east and the sunset hitting some high clouds with colors of warm orange to salmon pink. By 9 PM all the moisture had moved east and the sky was clearing. The week of wild weather appears to be complete.