The Hand Of God In Arizona

[chris401]

My last trip through Arizona in 2004 was interesting. I saw something as I was heading East that made me pull over. I stopped on the Plato just before it dropped several hundred feet in elevation. Unlike anything I had seen before or after was a South bound sand storm. From where I was the storm seemed 1000 feet tall. It looked like the hand of God  was sweeping across the earth. Awesome sight. I had seen 1950's pictures of bare metal cars but couldn't imagine what the storm looked like. I am sure some of the locals down there had a different point of view that I do.

[FElony]

You are talking about our haboobs.  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=arizona+dust+storm

[TomP]

Been in a smaller version of that driving between Barstow and Las Vegas. That news clip has awesome images.

[Heo]

I rather take a snowstorm over that

[chris401]

You are talking about our haboobs.  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=arizona+dust+storm

Yes. This video looks very simular to the one I saw.
https://youtu.be/8W4Cx44XKZ4

The one I saw was in mid day movimg across the open desert. In the 9 minute video at the airport they say that was a mile high. The one I saw looked like it at the 1:57 mark.
https://youtu.be/8W4Cx44XKZ4

[FElony]

I rather take a snowstorm over that

No way. Snow is cold. Snow kills both visibilty and traction. Snow sticks around and annoys you well after a dust storm has come and gone. Snow is heavy and makes things collapse.

Dust inside the airport buildings happened because the morons did not shut off their ventilation systems. I do this in the house and get pretty much nothing inside. Since they are here and gone fairly quickly, ain't no big deal. Often the wet side of the monsoon comes in on the heels of the dust and washes everything down.

You definitely want to be inside. The reporter at the airport is a dork for not wearing a particle mask and wrap-around eye protection. Debris big enough to injure is a concern. Better than earthquakes and floods, for sure.

[N2950H]

I grew up in Arizona and can attest to how intense those dust storms can be.  Funny how those are the kinds of things you miss after leaving the area.

On a related note...monsoons.  If you've never seen an Arizona monsoon, they are quite impressive. 

My brother and I both lived in Mesa for several years while working at the Boeing plant there.  We also had a pair of Yamaha R1s (crotch rockets).  A couple times a week after work we'd ride from Mesa out to Canyon Lake along State Route 88 which was a good 30-40 minute ride, the latter half of which was full of some great twisties.  This was particularly fun during the monsoon season because on the way out we'd be riding straight for these ominous clouds that were building and the sky would turn this intense dark grey, and then just as the downpour started we'd try to beat it back to the house.  I can still smell that rain hitting the hot pavement.

Good times.

[FElony]

I grew up in Arizona and can attest to how intense those dust storms can be.  Funny how those are the kinds of things you miss after leaving the area.

On a related note...monsoons.  If you've never seen an Arizona monsoon, they are quite impressive. 

My brother and I both lived in Mesa for several years while working at the Boeing plant there.  We also had a pair of Yamaha R1s (crotch rockets).  A couple times a week after work we'd ride from Mesa out to Canyon Lake along State Route 88 which was a good 30-40 minute ride, the latter half of which was full of some great twisties.  This was particularly fun during the monsoon season because on the way out we'd be riding straight for these ominous clouds that were building and the sky would turn this intense dark grey, and then just as the downpour started we'd try to beat it back to the house.  I can still smell that rain hitting the hot pavement.

Good times.

I posted this a few months ago, but I don't think you were in this forum yet. Lots of good Hand of God music for Chris, too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbY3DdzV0rA

[chris401]

I grew up in Arizona and can attest to how intense those dust storms can be.  Funny how those are the kinds of things you miss after leaving the area.

On a related note...monsoons.  If you've never seen an Arizona monsoon, they are quite impressive. 

My brother and I both lived in Mesa for several years while working at the Boeing plant there.  We also had a pair of Yamaha R1s (crotch rockets).  A couple times a week after work we'd ride from Mesa out to Canyon Lake along State Route 88 which was a good 30-40 minute ride, the latter half of which was full of some great twisties.  This was particularly fun during the monsoon season because on the way out we'd be riding straight for these ominous clouds that were building and the sky would turn this intense dark grey, and then just as the downpour started we'd try to beat it back to the house.  I can still smell that rain hitting the hot pavement.

Good times.

I posted this a few months ago, but I don't think you were in this forum yet. Lots of good Hand of God music for Chris, too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbY3DdzV0rA

The reciever of my cell phone was knocked out driving through 5:19-5:23 one night. Forced to send my first text because of it. As for the music I personally would have chosen "Symphony Of Destruction". I couldn't think of any Al Green or Waylon that fit the scenery.