Unusual March Weather in AZ

It was to be 81º in Watertown SD today; the high in Apache Junction? 55º. Yes, rather unreal. The 80 degrees of last week were replaced by rain in our area but much snow up north, 15 inches in Flagstaff with more coming tonight and 31 inches in Snow Bowl, a skiing area east of Flagstaff, with more coming.

I stepped outside at 1:51 pm to take pictures of the sky.

I went back outside at 2:23 and took this photo:

 Yes, hail, or rather graupel, the meteorological term for snow pellets.

It had the sound and feel of hail!

 2:24 pm

 2:25 pm

 The hail storm lasted about 10 minutes.

This is looking across the street to the neighbor's yard.

 Marble-sized hail next to Curt's size 12s.

Luckily the tempered glass table top held the graupel collection.

2:31 one hailstone caught in the cactus.

 The white geranium took a little beating. Not too bad, though.

A river of melting hailstones a short time later,

running down the middle of the street.

 2:44 the hailstone is still there.

Graupel caught in the aloe vera; a succulent, not a cactus.

 Snow on the Superstitions & Flatiron

 The fire pit cover took a beating.

The material (plastic) wasn't that heavy, anyway.

We'll  just have to look for a new one, that is of heavier material.

That was our exciting Sunday afternoon!

Back to the 80s by next weekend!